Trail and Heartache
by emackenzie
Summary: Sequel to Lost Love. Three months has gone by since Amber had her baby, and since Jay and Ved came to the mall. There is a storm headed their way, but is it the weather, or is it the secret Jay and Ved haven't shared with anyone? With love comes heartache
1. Part 1, 2 & 3

Part 1  
>Three months had passed at the mall. The weather outside was changing, winter was almost over, but it was still bitterly cold out. B.J. was a growing, happy baby that seemed to bring back the miracle of life to the mallrats. Danni had left Johnny with Bray and Amber for the winter months. He was almost a year old and was bringing to walk. Danni had left with May, Pride and Roxie the same afternoon Amber gave birth. Soon after Sasha left without a word in the middle of the night. Alice and Ellie also found a break in the winter storms to go back to the farm. Alice wanted to be near Andy and Tally, who moved to the farm after Ned's death. Ellie just wanted to get away from everything and everyone. Salene and Ryan were remarried and Amber and Bray were married as well. Lex and Tai-san began to trust each other again, they worked through their problems and found the love they still had for each other. Ebony began to trust Jay as well, although they never talked about Zoot or anything else from her past. Trudy was starting to worry more about Jack, who had locked himself in a room none of the others were allowed to enter. He only came out for food and water. But to Jack, he just wanted to be away from people. Once he had helped Ebony complete her mission with the cameras, he wanted to be where he could watch over everyone, and not worry about having to interact with them, with Cloe. Cloe had started a relationship with Ved, one that she soon started to question and wonder if she had done the right thing. Patsy and KC were the drama that seemed to keep the mallrats on their toes. No one was ever sure if they were together or not, they seemed to be breaking up every other day.<p>

But now, everyone, expect Jack and Ebony were getting ready to celebrate what they had decided would be Brady's birthday. Jay had figured it would have been her 4th birthday, and everyone was finally happy to have something to celebrate, everyone but Bray. His mind was else were, and it was easy for Amber to see.

"Bray tell me what's wrong." Amber said coming up behind him. She knew that something had been bothering him the last few days, but he hadn't wanted to talk about it.

"I was just thinking." Bray said turning to face her. He put on one of his fake smiles but he knew she would see right through it.

"Sweetie there was nothing we could do for him." Amber said knowing he was thinking about Martin. It had almost been 4 years since he died here at the mall. It had almost been four years since the virus and since Sasha and Zandra and Paul.

"I know but I still miss him so much. He was my younger brother Amber. I should have protected him." Bray said letting the tears he had been hiding fall gently down him checks.

"Bray you couldn't have done anything more for him. He was so angry, that's what turned him into Zoot." Amber said wiping the tears away with her finger.

"See it was my fault he put all of us through this. If I wasn't so…so." Bray said searching for the word but couldn't find it.

"Bray don't go there. It's Brady's birthday. She's our niece. So let's be happy that we're all here today." Amber said.

"We're not all here though." Trudy said walking over to them. "Jack won't come out of that dumb closet."

"I'll go talk to him." Amber said smiling. "Hey Brady, do you want me to go get Jack?" Amber asked the little girl in a sweet voice.

"Jackie! Jackie! Yeah I want Jackie!" Brady said smiling and jumping up and down.

"Okay I'll be right back sweetie." Amber said kissing her on the cheek and leaving the café.

"Ryan will you hand me that?" Salene asked her husband.

"The pink or the green?" Ryan asked.

"Both." Salene said after thinking about it for a minute.

"Salene, Trudy wants to know when we're going to start." Cloe said as she and Patsy walking into the cooking area.

"Soon, I'm almost done." Salene said smiling at them.

"Hey babe, there you are." Ved said coming up from behind them and putting his arms around Cloe.

"Hi." Cloe said as he kissed her cheek.

"If you three don't get out of here, I'll never get done." Salene said shaking her head at them.

"Okay we're going." Patsy said leaving.

"So tell me Ryan. When are we going to get to have little ones?" Salene asked Ryan with a smile on her face.

"As soon as you want them Sal." Ryan said hugging her.

"I want one, or four." Salene laughed.

"Let's just start with one, I don't know if I can handle anymore." Ryan smiled pulling her over to him. "We're in no rush."

Salene smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"All I want to do is enjoy this time with you, enjoy our youth without our own children to look after."

"I just want to enjoy you." She whispered before kissing him.

Jack sat in the room watching everyone. They all seemed so happy. Everyone was smiling, even Cloe. Jack turned around to look and see what was going on outside of the mall. He saw nothing. No people, no nothing. He looked up at the ceiling and started to think about Cloe and how much he loved her and how much she hurt him, just like Ellie did. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He stood up and opened the door just enough so he could get out without anyone seeing what was inside. It was Amber at the door. She hugged him and then just looked at him.

"Jack what's going on?" Amber asked sitting down against the wall. She turned to look at the boy who use to have firey red hair, but now it was just normal, a darkish brown, almost black color.

"Nothing. I'm just working." Jack said rubbing his eyes.

"Brady wants you to come to the party." Amber said smiling at him. He had bags under his eyes and they were all bloodshot.

"Yeah I know." Jack said with out thinking.

"How do you know?" Amber asked puzzled.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she'd want everyone there, she's her mother's daughter." Jack said covering up.

It was perfect timing for Jack, Ebony came around the corner. She had left the mall a few days ago, after a disagreement with Jay and Jack had wondered when she would be back to check in with everything. He was glad that she was showing up now, saving him from Amber and her questions.

"You can't live in there, it's not healthy." Amber said looking at Ebony as she approached them. "What do you do in there anyway?" she whispered. She knew it had something to do with Ebony, and anything that had to do with Ebony worried her.

"Hey Ebony." Jack said nodding.

"Ebony." Amber said looking at her. "Jay will be happy to know you're back."

"Good for Jay." Ebony rolled her eyes. She glanced at Jack and then the door.

"Look Amber, Ebony and I have some things we need to talk about, then I'll see what I can do about making it to wish Brady a happy birthday." Jack said wishing she was leave already.

"Make it Jack, no matter what." She added, looking back at Ebony before leaving the two standing there.

"I thought I would see what I've missed." Ebony said smiling at Jack as he opened the door and Ebony went into the room.

"No much. Bray is upset because it's almost been four year since Zoot died and some of the originals left." Jack said with a sigh.

"Who left?" Ebony asked.

"Well Paul left and Zandra died." Jack said sitting down in the chair that was still warm. "It's been four years since the virus."

"Any what is so special about this year? We haven't made any progress in the city, things are still falling apart every time we turn around." Ebony said shaking her head.

"This is the first year we've celebrated a birthday since the virus." Jack said looking at all the screens.

"That's a stupid reason if you asked me." Ebony said. "But you're out, I can't let you live in here anymore, they are starting to ask questions, and that's bad for business." Ebony said picking up the key that was on the table.

"Ebony you can't." Jack said in protest.

"Hiding in here, isn't going to make dealing with Cloe any easier." Ebony said.

"Please Ebony, just the rest of the day?" Jack pleaded.

"Only after you make an appearance in the café." Ebony said dragging him out of the room and locking the door.

Cloe stood frozen when she saw Jack walk into the café. He looked so run down and tired. She wanted to run to him and tell him what was going on with her and that she needed him not Ved but she couldn't. She just watched as he talked to everyone but her and Ved.

"Cloe are you okay?" Ved asked.

Cloe didn't say anything, she couldn't, everything in her head was starting to spin.

"Cloe, you look pale, are you okay?" Ved asked her again.

Cloe tried to stand up, she wanted to get out of the room, somewhere where everything made sense. Then she hit the ground with a thud.

"Cloe!" Ved shouted as he watched her fall. Everyone else seemed to turn to look at what was going on.

Jack ran to her with out thinking. He didn't even give Ved time to protest before he was scooped Cloe up and carried her out of the café, away from the others. When he reached her room, he laid her gently on the bed.

Cloe opened her eyes to see Jack's face. She smiled and reached up to touch his face. His skin was so warm and smooth. She pulled her hand away when Ved pushed Jack out of the way. She sat up and looked around the room. He was gone. Everyone else was already in the room asking questions. Cloe just laid back and covered her eyes, her head was pounding, and not just from the fall.

**Part 2**  
>"Is she okay?" Jay asked Ebony as she walked back into her room and saw him sitting on her bed.<p>

"She's fine." Ebony said. "Is there something I can do for you?" she asked him sitting down on the other end of her bed.

"There's a lot you can do for me." Jay said with a smile. He grabbed Ebony's hands and pulled her down the other end of the bed.

Ebony pulled back. "Don't make me hurt you." Ebony said as he penned her down on the bed.

"Would you really hurt me?" Jay asked as he kissed her neck.

"Without blinking." Ebony said pushing him off. But he was stronger than her and she found him on top of her again.

"Well I won't make you then, I promise." Jay said smiling down at her. He looked right into her brown eyes. He knew she was hiding many things form him but so was he. "You taste so sweet." Jay said as he started kissing her again.

"Heard it many times." Ebony said to him.

"Only because it's true." Jay said. He rolled off her and laid on his side looking at her. She was still on her back but she could tell something was bugging her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Jay what tribe are you from? You must have had a tribe before you came here." Ebony said rolling over on her side to face him. In the time she had spent away from the mall, she had asked questions, trying to figure out what angle he was coming from, who he was, and what he wanted.

"I don't have one." Jay said lying and sitting up fast. "Ved and I left home after our mother died and then we just travelled around." He said pulling her up to a sitting position.

"Interesting story." Ebony said standing up. "But I'm going to bed."

"Good, I'll join you. It's been a long time since we've fall asleep together." Jay said laying back down. "And I haven't seen you in days, I think it's only fair."

"I don't do fair." Ebony said.

"You're right, but I do." Jay said smiled.

"Fine, but leave, I need to change." Ebony said pulling him off the bed.

"Fine." Jay said walking out.

Ebony smiled as she took her clothes off and put on a baby blue tank top and short shorts that matched. She turned around and let Jay back in the room. He picked her up off the ground and swung her around.

"AAAAHHHH. Jay put me down." Ebony said laughing. Jay lowered her to the ground slowly. "That hurt." She said rubbing her back. It didn't really hurt but wanted to see what he would do.

Ebony's words hit him like a bullet. He never wanted to hurt her. He pulled her over to her bed and had her laid on her stomach so he could rub her back where it hurt. "I'm sorry." He said. He got a fit of laugher out of her. She rolled over and looked up at him.

Ebony could tell that he really felt bad about it. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Ebony said taking her hands and putting them on his face.

"Ebony you know that I never want to hurt you." Jay said as she brought his face closer to hers.

"Well if you don't brush your teeth you may just kill me." Ebony said putting a hand over his mouth.

"I'll be back." Jay said getting up and leaving the room.

When Jay got back to the room, Ebony was already fast asleep. He couldn't help but watch her. She was so peaceful and kind when she was sleeping, until the nightmares came. There were so many nights where she seemed to wake up in a cold sweat, and at first it scared him, the yelling, and fighting she would do. But now it worried him more than anything. "Ebony I'll never leave you." Jay whispered into her ear. He knew she was asleep and didn't hear but he had to tell her that before anything else happened.

Jack sat in the room watching everyone go to sleep. He saw everyone but Cloe. She wasn't in her bed or in Ved's. She wasn't in the café or any of the bathrooms. Jack started to worry when he couldn't see her anywhere. Then his eyes when across the screen that showed the room. The same room where they first and last made love. There is was holding up a sign that said 'JACK I NEED TO TALK TO YOU NOW!' Jack could feel his stomach go into knots when he read that sign. He stood up and decided to go to her before he went to bed. He walked up the stairs and into the room, stopping when he saw her crying.

"What?" Jack asked. He wanted to get it over with quick and fast so he could get on with his life.

"Jack." Cloe said as she walked over to him and touched his face.

Jack stepped away as soon as he felt her touch him. "No more Cloe. What do you want?"

"Jack I'm…I'm…pregnant." Cloe said letting more tears stream down her face.

"Congratulations. You can tell Ved I said that." Jack said turning to leave the room but was stopped by Cloe's hand.

"I never slept with Ved." Cloe said letting go of him after she said it.

"What do you mean you never slept with him? I heard all about it. He was talking to KC." Jack said turning to look at her.

"He was drunk and passed out before I even got into bed. You can even go watch the tape of that night." Cloe said sitting down on the floor.

"So wait if you didn't sleep with him than that means." Jack said but couldn't say it.

"You're the father." Cloe said looking up to see how he would take the news.

Jack sat down next to her and after a long two minutes looked at her and smiled. "We're going to have a baby!" he said excited.

"Yeah." Cloe said smiling at him. She took Jack's hand and placed it on her stomach.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Jack asked.

"Well I haven't had my period since that day. I've had morning sickness and I get dizzy all the time." Cloe said rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you going to tell Ved?" Jack asked.

"Yeah we can tell him and everyone in the morning." Cloe said with a yawn.

Jack moved so she could sit in-between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her and put his hands on her stomach. "We're going to have a baby." Jack said quietly.

"Yeah. Our baby." Cloe said sheepishly. "I love you Jack."

"I love you too Cloe. I never stopped." Jack said as she fell asleep with her head on his chest.

Just outside of the city, a group a people were making their way to the mall.

**Part 3**  
>Amber and Bray woke to the sound of someone trying to get into the mall. They ran to see what is was. Amber gasped at the site and Bray just stood next to her puzzled. Soon Lex and many other mallrats where standing with them with the same look on their face as Bray had.<p>

"Eagle I'm sorry we came here but we didn't know what to do." A girl said from the crowd of people.

"Where is Pride and May?" Amber asked looking at all the face.

"Right here." May said standing behind them. Pride and May were holding blankets and pillows.

"Amber, Bray we need to talk in the café." Pride said throwing the things down to the people.

"Yeah we need to talk. Why is the whole Eco-Tribe here?" Amber asked as they walked to the café.

"Well the storm ruined everything. We tried to rebuild things but it's getting to clod out. Winter is on the way and we can't last out there for much longer." Pride said as they sat down.

"So you brought them there excepting we would take them all in?" Lex asked.

"Don't mind him. He's grumpy because he woke up before the sun was half way up in the sky." Tai-san said.

"I'm sorry Amber but snow is going to fall soon and we don't know what else to do." May said.

"It's okay. I'm their leader I just wish I would have known ahead of time. That way we could have cleaned out the offices and got it all ready for everyone." Amber said smiling at them.

"Wait, aren't we going to vote on this?" KC asked.

"No because if we every needed to go to the Eco-tribe they would help us without voting on it." Amber said.

"Fine then we're going back to bed." KC said standing up.

"Oh no you aren't. We are all going to get up and help them. They've been traveling for a long time KC." Salene said.

"We all can't get up. Cloe isn't in her bed and I haven't seen her since she took off to talk to someone last night." Patsy said looking around the room.

"Who'd she go to talk to?" Ryan asked.

"I can't tell." Patsy said. "Salene why don't we make some food. I bet the Eco-Tribe is really hungry." Patsy said trying to get all the attention off of her.

"Okay well Ved have you seen her?" Amber asked.

"Nope. She told me that she wanted to talk to someone but wouldn't tell me who." Ved said.

"Okay we'll find her later." Amber said. "KC, Ved and Lex go find all the extra blankets and pillows you can and take them down to them. Tai-san, Salene, Patsy and me will make food for everyone. Trudy why don't you stay with BJ and Brady. Pride, Bray, Ryan and May do you guys want to start clearing out the other side of the mall for them to use as a home?"

"Okay you guys heard her let's go." Bray said clapping his hands. He kissed Amber before he left to get to work.

"Has anyone seen Ebony, Jay or Jack this morning?" Amber asked.

"I bet I know where Jack is." Trudy said rolling her eyes.

"Do you want to go get him out of there. I'm sure Ebony and Jay are still in bed." Amber said.

"Yeah. I'll be back." Trudy said leaving Brady and BJ in a playpen.

Ebony woke up with a smile on her face.

"No nightmares." Jay said smiling at her.

"Nope." Ebony said rubbing her eyes.

"Everyone else is up. Something is going on but I didn't want to wake you." Jay said.

"That's so sweet of you but I better go see what it is." Ebony said sitting but got pulled back down by Jay.

"Not yet." Jay said pulling her back down and kissing her.

"Jay they could need us." Ebony said not really wanting to leave.

"Since when have you cared?" Jay asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't. I just want to know what's going on. And I know you do as well." Ebony said smiling sweetly.

"True. I guess we should go." Jay said getting on top of her and kissing her stomach.

"Okay you're done." Ebony said forcefully.

"Fine we can go." Jay said taking her hand and pulling her out into the café.

Ebony stood frozen when she saw about 30 people in the mall that she had never seen before.

"What's wrong?" Jay asked her.

"Look at me! I'm not dressed." Ebony said pulling Jay back to cover her as she walked by the stairs and into the café. "Who are all of those people?" Ebony asked when they came into the café.

"You should know Ebony. You seem to know just about everything these days." Salene said laughing.

"Well it would be nice to know when I can come out of my room without having like ten guys drooling." Ebony said having Jay stand behind her now.

"You know, I think I'm liking this." Jay said kissing her shoulders.

"It's the Eco-Tribe, Ebony. They are staying here until winter is over." Amber said. "Go put cloths on and help us here. You too Jay."

"No, I'm liking this." Jay said as he and Ebony walked back to her room.

"Will you hand me that shirt?" Ebony asked pointing to the red shirt by her bed.

"Here." Jay said handing it to her. He watched as she pulled her shirt off and put the other one on. This over the first time she had ever changed in front of him, although is all he could see was her back. He turned around when she put her black lather pants on. He turned around and pulled her to him. "Why can't we stay in here today?"

"Because we wouldn't get any farther than we've already gone. Now hurry up and get dressed." Ebony said laying her head on his bear chest.

"Okay. Why is it you always win?" Jay asked as he pulled his pants up over his boxers.

"Because I'm the girl." Ebony said fixing her hair. "And you know the longer you wait the better it will be."

"Oh I can't wait." Jay said wrapping his arms around her again.

"I know but you have to." Ebony said smiling at him in the mirror.

"Okay let's go." Jay said as he pulled on an old white shirt.

Cloe opened her eyes when she heard some one walk into the room. She smiled when she saw that she had fallen asleep with Jack's arms around her. She looked around the room and saw the green-headed KC standing in front of them.

"What do you want KC?" Cloe asked quietly so she didn't wake Jack.

"Patsy wanted me to tell you two to get up before Ved found you." KC said.

"Let him find us. He's going to find out today anyways." Jack said with his eyes still closed.

"Yeah he can find us here. That way it will be easier to tell him." Cloe said closing her eyes.

"Yeah well that's only one reason. Amber wants everyone in the café ASAP. The tree huggers are moving into the mall." KC said.

"Fine we'll be down in a little bite." Jack said.

"No I think I'll go down now." Cloe said bring her hand up to her mouth and covering it. She had forgotten all about the morning sickness. She got up fast and ran out of the room.

"What's up with her?" KC asked as Jack got up.

"Morning sickness." Jack said as they walked out of the room and down to the bathroom.

"Why?" KC asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." Jack said opening the bathroom door. "Cloe are you okay?" Jack asked walking into the stall she was in.

"Oh god this better be worth it." Cloe said sitting done floor.

"Hey it's worth it Cloe." Jack said pulling her to her feet. "Just think about what we'll have when it's all over."

"Okay someone tell me what's going on." KC said standing in the bathroom.

"I'm pregnant." Cloe said smiling at Jack.

"Wow I didn't think you and Ved had done that yet. I mean I know there was the first time." KC said.

"It's not Ved's." Cloe said wrapping her arms around Jack.

"Oh you mean tell me it's Jack's?" KC asked playfully.

"Oh shut up." Jack said. "Aren't we supposes to be in the café anyways. It's almost lunch time."

"Yeah I need to eat something." Cloe said walking out of the bathroom with the boys.

They walked over to the stairs so KC could show them all that Eco-Tribe was here. Most of them had fallen asleep on the ground. They had a few of their own belongs but most of the blankets looked like ones from the mall. Salene and Patsy were handing out sandwiches and Brady's juice boxes.

"Okay so what is the meeting about? I mean we aren't voting on if they can stay here are we?" Cloe asked putting one arm around Jack.

"I don't know. She is probably going to tell us what jobs to do. I guess the love birds will be separated." KC said making kissy noises.

"Hey Cloe isn't doing anything. She is going to go lay down." Jack said as they walked into the café. Cloe didn't bother taking her arms away from Jack when they

walked into the café even when she saw Ved. She just pulled herself closer to him.

"Well if it isn't the two sleepy heads." Bray said when he saw Jack and Cloe. He smiled at Jack knowing that something was going right for him.

"Okay guys we have a lot to do before night falls. We need to get the rest of the

stuff clean out of the other end of the mall. Jay how is it going?" Amber asked.

"We have a lot more to move before anyone can move in. We need some one to get the rooms ready." Jay said giving his report.

"Okay well Trudy and I can do that. Patsy and Salene need to keep making food for everyone." Amber said. "Oh that means no one will be watching the kids."

"Cloe can do that. She needs to rest." Jack said smiling but not taking his eyes off of Cloe.

"Okay. Now Jack you can help the guys move things. Tai-san can you keep handing out blankets?" Amber asked.

"Yeah. Ebony's been helping me." Tai-san said smiling. "I hope you don't mind but we had the pregnant ones go to Ellie and Alice's old room. We though that maybe we could all share rooms so the others can have beds." Tai-san said.

"Yeah that would work. I don't know how many rooms we'll get ready tonight. So Jay can you stay with Lex and Ved you can stay with KC. Patsy and Cloe can you two stay there too? Then Ryan can stay with Lex as well and Tai-san and Salene can stay with Ebony?" Amber asked.

"That will work out great. Then there will be three more rooms." Salene said.

"Okay everyone get to work. We will all meet back here 30 minutes before dinner." Amber said smiling.


	2. Part 4 & 5

**Part 4**  
>Ved wasn't too thrilled when he saw Jack and Cloe walk into the café together. Sure they had something before he came but it was over now. Cloe had slept with him and was going to be sharing a bed with him tonight. That's all there was to it. Ved thought to himself as he walked around the other part of the mall.<p>

"Hey Ved help me out over here." Jay yelled at his mini me.

"Yeah." Ved said walking over to his brother and help him move a bed into on of the old shops. It was heavy, Jay could have done it by himself but him and Ved had to look like they weren't that strong, they needed everyone to believe that they were as strong as Lex or Bray.

"Thanks man." Jay said patting him on the head.

"Anytime." Ved said. "Hey we need to talk to night. Things are getting a little carried away."

"Yeah meet me in the café after everyone is asleep." Jay said quietly. Then he walked off to people with another bed.

Dinner time had come and most of the rooms were ready. Amber, Bray, Pride and May had shown people where they could stay for tonight. Now everyone was in the café talking and eating.

"Okay guys you all did a great job." Amber said standing up. "Things went great for us not being ready or anything. We are going to need the guys to go out and find food and more blankets." Amber said.

"Yeah I want Lex, Jay, Ved, Jack, KC and Ryan down here before sun raise." Bray said standing up. "Ebony you can come along too since you know where the chosen and locos hid their food." He added before sitting down.

"You guys heard the man." Amber said smiling. "Now I want to welcome Jack back to the real world. It's been a long time, and we'll talk about it all later." She said playfully. "That's all you guys so enjoy and get a lot of sleep."

Ebony sat on the stairs after Amber and Bray's little speeches. She looked down at the area that was filled with people just hours ago. She stared to think about her family and what happened to her sisters after the virus. They were both older than her and could take care of themselves but they were her family. She heard someone walking up behind her. She looked up and smiled at Jay. He handed her a plate of food but she didn't eat it.

"I'll give you a kiss for your thoughts." Jay said as he sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was just thinking about my family." Ebony said laying back into him.

"Yeah, tell me about them." Jay said.

"I was just wondering about my sisters. I haven't seen them for over four years now." Ebony said.

"Yeah I bet they miss you." Jay said holding her tighter.

"I wouldn't bet on that. Java and Siva wouldn't miss me." Ebony said.

Jay had to try and keep his face as blank as he could. He didn't want her to know.

"They never liked me. I don't blame them. Not many people do like me." Ebony said letting a few tears roll down her cheek.

Jay was still shocked about the names. He though Ebony looked familiar but not that familiar. He still didn't say anything.

Ebony felt hurt when Jay didn't say anything. Her eyes began to tear up even more but she held them back. She pulled away from Jay and stood up. "I have to go clean my room," she said coldly.

Jay still didn't say anything. He just looked forward at the wall. He didn't realize that Ebony was gone until she was acutely gone. He got up and ran to her room hoping to find her there and he did. "Ebony why'd you leave?"

"Because I have things to do." Ebony said coldly as she made a bed on the couch in her room and one on the floor.

"Okay what'd I do?" Jay asked walking over to her.

"It's not what you did it's what you didn't do Jay." Ebony said backing up so he couldn't touch her. "For the first time in months I open up to you and you say nothing. God people wonder why I don't talk about my past."

"Ebony I'm sorry. I heard you. You told me about your sisters. Java and Siva were their names." Jay said not walking any closer to her. He knew when she didn't want to be touch and this was one of those times.

"Yeah and what did I tell you about them?" Ebony asked knowing he had no way to get out of it now.

"Not much just that are both older than you and look like you and don't care about you that much." Jay said not knowing if that was right.

"Wrong, wrong and right." Ebony said walking farther away. "How did you know the rest?"

"I guessed." Jay said. He had said way too much. Yeah he knew Java and Siva but he didn't know they had a younger sister.

"Jay go back to the rest of the mallrats and eat dinner and talk about being a family." Ebony said pointing to the door. "I don't know who you are and I don't want to know anymore."

"Ebony come on." Jay said looking at her with the puppy dogface. "I don't want to talk about having a family with them. I want to talk about it with you." Jay said before he knew it Ebony was yelling at him.

"GET OUT JAY!" she screamed "JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME LIKE ALL THE OTHERS DO! MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THEM BUT I WAS QUEEN OF THE LOCOS! I'M NOT A MALLRAT! NOW GO AWAY. GO BE WITH TRUDY OR SOMEONE!" She shouted at him. Luckily her room was far away from the rest of the rooms and the café, so on one heard her.

"Ebony I don't care what you were! I want to be with you and no one else." Jay said. He knew Ebony would break down soon. She always did after she yelled at him like that.

"I said get out Jay." Ebony said with no tears in her eyes. "I don't want to see you again."

"At lest tell me what I did?" Jay said.

"Then tell me how you guessed about my sister? I've never told anyone about them. They didn't even move there with me. So Bray and Trudy wouldn't know about them." Ebony said getting madder by the moment.

"Okay the truth is me and Ved meet a Siva and Java when we were on your way here." Jay said. "Now that I think about it you look a lot like them."

"Are you lying to me Jay? You should know there are only so many things a man can do to make me hate them with every fiber of my being." Ebony said. "#1. Cheat on me. #2 lie to me. #3hurt me or some one I know, meaning the mallrats." Ebony said looking into his eyes with hatred.

Jay had done all those things to her already. He did have a girlfriend, that wasn't Ebony, more along the lines of her sister Java, and there was the whole thing with Amber. "Ebony I would never do anything to hurt you." Jay said looking down in her eyes.

"God I hate you so much." Ebony said shaking her head.

Jay smiled at her. He put his arms around her waist and held her. After a long time of nothing Jay spoke. "How do you think you'll do with out me tonight?"

"I've decided not to be without you." Ebony said.

"Oh and how is that going to work?" Jay asked pulling her down to the bed and lying with his arms still around her.

"I'll just go to sleep thinking about you." Ebony said.

"Okay but if you do need me I'm in Lex's room remember that. I don't want you crawling into bed with someone else." Jay said smiling.

"Okay well I'm going to go to the bathroom then to bed. We have food to find in the morning." Ebony said getting up and having Jay did the same.

"Hey I owe you a kiss." Jay said stopping her before she walked into the bathroom.

He turned her to face him and kissed her passionately.

"Okay I'll see you in the morning." Ebony said pulling away and going into the bathroom.

Amber sat in her and Bray's room feeding BJ when Bray walk in.

"Hey sweetie." Amber said smiling as he sat on the bed.

"Hey babe. How are my big boys doing?" Bray asked.

"They're good. But Bray I can't breast-feed BJ forever. I'm going to need formula." Amber said rocking back in forth.

"We'll try and find some tomorrow Amber." Bray said taking off his boots. "Why don't I put BJ to bed tonight?"

"Okay that would be great. I can go cheek on the Eco's and see if they need anything." Amber said standing up and handing BJ to Bray. She pulled up her bra and shirt before she left the room.

"You know little man you have the best mommy every." Bray said as he looked down at his son.

When Ebony came back to her room she found Tai-san and Salene already there.

"Oh hi Ebony." Tai-san said when she entered the room.

Ebony smiled at them. "See you guys. In the morning." Ebony said. She hated small talk with these two. She could stand it with Amber and Trudy but these two really acted like a married couple. Ebony got into bed and was soon asleep.

Cloe walked into Jack's room with a smile. He was already in bed. She knew she was told to stay in KC's room but she wanted to be with Jack. She walked over to Jack's bed. He had pulled the covers up wanting her to get in. So she did. She smiled at Jack as he put his arms around her.

Jack thought he was dreaming as he held Cloe in his arms. "You are so beautiful." Jack said softly to her.

"Yeah that's only for now." Cloe said with a sigh. "Soon I'll be a fat cow."

"That's true but you'll be my fat cow." Jack said with a smile.

Cloe opened her mouth to speak but was cute off by Jack kissing her.

"mmmm…I'll let you get away with it for now." Cloe said opening her eyes.

Jack smiled at her and kissed both her cheeks and then kissed her lips gently. "Sleep tight my angels." Jack said putting one hand on her stomach. Jack closed his eyes but opened them when he knew Cloe still had hers open. "What?" Jack asked.

"We'll tell him soon okay." Cloe said with a weak smile.

Jack smiled at her and nodded. He pulled her closer and fell asleep.

**Part 5**  
>Ebony woke up to Tai-san shacking her. She looked wide-eyed around the room.<p>

"It's over." She said with relief. Just another dream.

"Ebony are you okay?" Tai-san asked.

"Yeah." She said getting up fast and leaving the room. She was going to the cafe when she heard voices. It was Jay's and Amber's. She stopped to listen to them talking.

"So do you love her?" Amber asked him.

"I think I do." Jay said.

"Then you would never hurt her?" Amber asked.

What the hell was she thinking? Amber was flirting with him and he was doing it back as well.

"I would never try and hurt her." Jay said.

"Oh." Amber said. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. This had never happened before." Jay said softly looking over at Amber. "Anyways things are too complicated for the both of us. So nothing can happen. I couldn't do that to Ebony."

"Right. Of course. Of course." Amber said quickly trying to act as though she didn't act.

"Look I should get going. Incase Ebony comes looking for me, I don't want her to find me here." Jay said.

Ebony peeked through so she could see. Jay was standing only inches from Amber.

"Yeah I guess we don't want that." Amber said smiling up at him.

Jay smiled back down at her. He gave her a stiff feeling hug and left the café.

Ebony could feel tears in her eyes. She didn't know why. It wasn't like they were making out or anything. But something just didn't seem right. And the fact that he was talking to Amber didn't make things better. Amber was the only person that had ever taken anything she wanted away from her. She felt as thought she couldn't breath as a thought crossed her mind. What if Amber was taking Jay away from her? Ebony slowly walked back to her room where she found Tai-san.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
>By sun raise Tai-san had heard everything Ebony saw. She had really begun to hate Jay and Amber now. Ebony had fallen asleep after Tai-san gave her some tea. Tai-san got up and left Ebony's side. She walked into the café to see everyone who was going to get food already there. She kissed Lex and made some tea for herself.<p>

"Where's Ebony?" Jay asked looking around the café.

"Oh yes. She will not be joining you. She had a very hard night and is sleeping finally." Tai-san said glaring at Jay who was sitting next to Amber.

"I should go see her." Jay said getting up.

"I don't think she'll want to see you or Amber for awhile." Tai-san said getting ready to tell Bray what was happening. But she didn't.

Amber shoot Jay a quick look with worry in her eyes. When she looked down at the floor Tai-san could see a smile on her face. Then she stood up. "Okay well here's who you'll be partnered up with. Lex and Bray. Jack and Jay. Ved and Ryan and me and KC."

"Okay you guys meet back here with whatever you find before night fall." Bray said walking out of the mall. Everyone was with him but Jay.

"Tai-san did she have a nightmare last night?" he asked her.

"Look whatever happened last night is between me and her. Now I suggest staying away from her and me as well." Tai-san said getting up and leaving.

Jay ran to Ebony's room after he talked to Tai-san. Something had happened last night but he was sure that she didn't hear him talking to Ved or what happened with Amber. He opened her door and saw her sleeping on her bed. Her face was red a puffy from crying so much. Jay put a few braids behind her ears and kissed her cheek softly. Then he took a paper out and wrote on it.

TO- my love. I'm sorry about whatever happened last night. I wish I could have been there for you. I'll be back before nightfall. See you then.  
>Jay<br>He left the note where she would find it. Then he was off to meet up with Jack.

Jack and Jay walked down the street together, not talking, but trying to listen, and follow the screaming they could hear. As they rushed along, the noise got louder, proving they were heading in the right direction. As they rounded a corner they saw the source of all the noise. A young girl, a little younger than both of them, was struggling to get away from a boy that looked much bigger than her. Neither Jay or Jack could turn their backs on such a sight. They quickly jumped in, freeing the girl, and pinning the boy to the ground.

"Let go of him!" the girl screamed and jumped on Jay's back hitting him, she wasted no time, and soon had Jay pinned to the ground, and the other boy once again, trying to pull her away.

"What the heck?" Jay said struggling against the small girl, he never would have guessed that she could be that strong.

"I don't have time to deal with city rats." The girl shouted in his face before jumping off him and running down the street, the boy following close behind. Everything was silent for a second, before another cry for help came from the direction the girl and boy had headed.

Both Jay and Jack followed and stopped behind the girl and boy, they looked down the alley a ways and saw an ex loco. He had a little blonde hair girl by the hair with a knife in the other hand. There was a little boy within arms reach of him, both the children were crying.

"Let them go!" Jay said stepping forward, shouting at the crazy.

"I will kill you." The older girl snapped, not taking her eyes off the children. "You didn't like what you got, I told you I would fix it." She said glancing up at the loco. "What do you want?"

"You think you can just get rid of me like that, you screwed me over, you screwed my whole tribe over." He shouted at her, pulling the little girls hair, making her scream.

"And I told you I would fix it, you can't expect everything to be perfect over night." The girl shouted, showing no emotion, and little concern for the little kids. "You can't have them, pick something else, anything else."

"How do I know you'll make good this time?" he stared her down.

"Because you know you'll get what you want in the end." She glared back at him, pushing her lips together.

The guy looked her up and down. He stopped at her hands. "Give me the ring." He said.

She didn't even blink as she slid the ring off her hand and head it out for him. "Drop the knife." She said simply.

As the knife hit the ground, the ring was snatched out of her hand and the ex loco ran, letting go of the crying little girl.

"Mommy." The little boy cried as he ran into the older girls arm as she dropped down to the street, tears and emotion finally visible on her face. She pulled both of the children to her, hugging them tightly.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever leave the house without me again." The girl sobbed pulling the blond girl back and looking at her. "It's not safe here, not in the city."

"I'm sorry." The girl cried and threw her arms around her neck.

The old boy stepped in and helped the girl to her feet, and she brought the blond hair girl up with her, still crying. He then picked up the little boy, and started to move his hands, motions back to where Jay and Jack were standing.

"What just happened?" Jack said shaking his head.

"Not here." The girl said looking back down the street, wiping tears away from her face with her free hand, while she supported the little girl with the other. "It's not safe in the streets, not for us."

At the mention of those words Jay finally noticed what was so different about them. her accent, she was American, and the way they were all dressed, is clothes, clothes from before the virus.

They quickly followed the girl, as she wound her way through a maze of alleys, and back streets to what looked like an abounded building. "Quickly, inside." She said as her hands moved looking at the other boy. She waited, while Jay and Jack followed him in.

"Where are we?" Jay whispered. He wasn't sure what part of the city they were even in anymore.

Jack didn't have an answer for him, he just looked around as they came into a large opening, which quickly turned into a room. There were lights on, lights coming from lamps, and the whole room smelled sweet, like vanilla. There were a few mismatched chairs, the floor what covered in blankets and toys.

"Go clean up." The girl said, as both of children were put down on the ground. She then turned and looked at Jay and Jack. "My name is Mackenzie." She said extending her hand, manners were important.

"Jay." Jay replied, shaking hers.

"Jack." He said as he reached out.

Mackenzie grabbed his hand and pushed his sleeve up. "You're a mallrat." She said studying the amulet on his hand.

Jack pulled his hand back, wondering if it was a good or bad thing. He wasn't sure what the story was with this girl, but he knew that something wasn't right. "Yeah."

The girl turned to the boy, franticly moving her hands, and his in return moved back. They were communicating to each other through sign language, something neither Jay nor Jack could understand.

The girl suddenly laughed and let her hands fall to the side.

"I missed something." Jay said looking at her.

"He's a mallrat." The girl said pointing to the boy standing next to her.

"No offense, but I've been at the mall since the virus, I know all the mallrats. He's no mallrat." Jack said looking at her like she was crazy.

"He really doesn't look familiar to you?" she asked, her head titling to the side ever so slightly.

Jack looked at the boy, studying his eyes, his eyes, the way he stood, trying to see if there was something he was missing, but he couldn't seem to find anything. "No."

"Well, either way, Paul says he owes you a lot of candy, and a few cans of spaghetti." The girl laughed shaking her head.

"Paul?" Jack asked, looking at him again, this time with a different picture in his mind. "Patsy's Paul?" he asked squinting.

"We just call him Paul." Mackenzie said folding her arms in front of her, glancing to the side, at the kids, putting toys into a bag.

"How did you meet Paul?" Jack asked.

"He broke into my hotel room." she said giving a small smile, her eyes looked so sad and tired, they were still red from the tears.

"The only hotel here is run by ex-locos." Jay said.

"I thought you would have guessed by now that I'm not from here." She looked over at Jay. "I was on vacation with my parents with the virus struck, we weren't allowed to return home, so I got stuck. Set up home in the hotel we were in, it's about two weeks walk from here. Paul showed up one day, over time I learned how to talk to him, and he told me everything. We've been traveling around since then." She said with a smile.

"How long have you been in the city? Why didn't he come back?" Jack asked. "Everyone thinks he is dead."

"He didn't want to. We don't have plans to stay here, and after what happened, what you saw, we're leaving the city as soon as possible." she said.

"Mom I'm hungry." The little girl said coming over to her.

"I know honey, Stephanie will be back soon." Mac said smiling and kissing her forehead.

"What are their names?" Jack asked.

"Honesty and Lane." Mac said.

"Aren't you kinda young to be a mother?" Jay asked, noticing the age different

"What do you mean?" Mac asked back.

"You don't look like you're more than 16, and she's got to be 8 or 9." Jay said looking over at the girl.

"She's my niece." Mackenzie said looking at Jay. "My sister died from the virus, I had no choice but to care for them, to become their mother."

"Oh." Jay said suddenly feeling stupid. He had been put in his place by a girl, a girl younger and stronger than him. It wasn't something that happened a lot.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Mackenzie asked smiling, she seemed to be sweet at times, and hard at others.

The group walked farther into the room, into a smaller closed off area, filled with shelves and boxes. "What would you like?" she asked.

"Where'd you get all this food?" Jay asked as he looked around at the fresh vegetables and fruits, along with a few boxes and cans of things. He wasn't sure when the last time was he had seem someone outside of a tribe with this much food.

"Just around, we've moved a lot, and are really good at collecting things." She informed them.

"Apples, pears, carrots, is that a pumpkin?" Jack asked pointing at the orange ball.

"Yeah, we spent a few weeks out in the country side, trading with farmers." Mackenzie nodded at them.

"I don't believe it." Jack laughed.

"We can't take all the fresh food with us. You guys can take what you like. I hate to see my hard work wasted." Mac said looking over at the children as they reached for apples.

Just then something crashed in the other room.

"Somebody's here." Honesty said hugging Mackenzie's leg.

"It's just Stephanie." Mackenzie said nodding her head, listening to the footsteps as they approached. They saw another girl short than Mackenzie, with long black hair, but dressed the same way.

"Oh company, I love company." The girl said sitting down on a box, dropping a bag on the ground.

"The kids got out this morning. That boy, the one we've been helping, he found them." Mackenzie said, her words seemed to be more than enough for Stephanie, her eyes widen, and fell on the children, it was as though all three of them were worried.

"Are we leaving tonight or at first light?" Stephanie asked, standing up. It was as though a whole conversation had passed, but Jack and Jay hadn't heard a word of it.

"First light, we'll be able to get farther away by then." Mackenzie nodded.

"What'd he take in return?" Stephanie wondered, relaxing a little, but her eyes wondering back the children every few seconds.

"My ring." Mackenzie whispered.

"I'm sorry." Stephanie gave her a sad smile.

"You've got to stop that." Jack said looking from the two girls to Jay. "We have no clue what is going on."

"I've got to talk to Paul, will you explain, please?" Mackenzie asked, taking the hands of the children, and walking away, with the boy following them.

"I'll try." She shouted after her. "So how'd you end up here?" she asked looking up at the two confused boys.

"Timing, I guess." Jay said. "We were out looking for food when we heard someone scream."

"Mac, she's, well, she's very protective of those kids, of everything we do." Stephanie said standing up. "She's smart, and she'll do whatever she has to do to get what she wants, and what we need."

"What does she need from an ex-loco?" Jack wondered.

"Mostly food, school supplies, clothes, books, she got a big thing for books." Stephanie nodded. "We were doing some trading. She was trying to help his tribe, but things were going slowly. Once the enemy finds out where you live, you're not safe anymore."

"Are you scared they're going to hurt you?" Jack asked.

"She doesn't care if they hurt her, she's more worried about the kids. It's been tough, these last few years, being here, the things we've already seen. We were on vacation, but it's turned more into a nightmare."

"I'm sorry." Jay could see the pain in her eyes. He knew that they must of gone through a lot, something that would make them run at the first sign of trouble.

"Now, what's the drama with Paul?" she cocked her head to one said.

"He's a member of our tribe, the mallrats." Jack said.

"The famous Mallrats. You know you're not very popular among the other tribes." Stephanie couldn't suppress her laugh.

"Not popular?" Jack asked.

"Don't take it too personally, most tribes don't like other tribes, it's always a power struggle, and since you guys seem to think you have power over the city, it makes you easier to dislike." She told them as though they should have already known.

"Yeah, I guess I never thought if it that way." Jack said as they walked back into the large room, seeing Mackenzie standing, wiping tears from her eyes, but smiling.

"Everything alright?" Jay asked.

Mackenzie turned around quickly, smiling at them. "Yeah, everything is good." She nodded. "Umm, if it's alright with you two, Paul would like to go back to the mall."

"What do you mean?" Stephanie asked, stepping forward. "Leaving us?"

"He wants to go back to his sister, to his family." Mackenzie nodded at her friend.

"Why don't all of you come back?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, if it's not safe here, come to the mall, it's safer there." Jay said nodding his head. For some reason he had a strong desire to protect this girl, to shield her from everything.

"Thank you, but we couldn't." Mackenzie said, slowly they could see all the emotion leaving her face, just like from the alley, she was becoming hard, not wanting to show what she was really feeling. She looked down at Paul's hands as he started to sign something. "I'm not." She said pressing her lips together. "We're fine here, it's only a few hours."

"He's right." Stephanie chimed in on the silent conversation. "It'd be safer at the mall come night fall. Plus you know you want to see where we're leaving him."

Mackenzie sighed in defeat, she couldn't fight some many people. "We leave at first light." She was angry.

"Kids, get your coats." Stephanie laughed.

They walked along in silence, Mackenzie looking over her shoulder, and Stephanie and Paul almost seemed as though they were walking in a way that would protect her from anything. Both the children were starting to get restless.

"Mom I'm tired and I need a band aid." the little boy said starting to cry, showing her a scrap on his finger.

Mackenzie stopped and got into her bag. She pulled out a band-aid with blue paw prints on it. She gave it to him and picked him up. But she struggled to hold onto him and the two bags of food she was carrying.

"Here, let me." Jay said stopping and putting his food down. "You want to have a high view?" he asked the little boy.

The child looked at Mackenzie, down at his sister and then nodded his head. He laughed as Jay took him from her, and placed him on his shoulders.

"Don't pull his hair." Mackenzie said looking at the little boy. "Thank you." She smiled at Jay.

"Not a problem." Jay smiled back. "It's nothing compared to what you've done for my tribe." He said looking down at the bags in her hands.

"A lot of it is stuff we got when we were in the country side." Mackenzie said. "There was this farm that seemed to be untouched by everything, we stayed there for a few months, it was so unreal. The people that lived there grew their own food, and canned a lot of it. All we had to do was find jars."

"It's amazing to think that some places can run so smoothly, and not turn into this." Jay replied thinking about the cities he had seen. "I hope this city can work together someday."

"That's a big dream you've got there." Mackenzie looked over at him. They were close to the same height, and she had noticed how young he really looked.

"What about you? Do you have a big dream?" Jay wondered.

"Of course." Mackenzie smiled as she thought about. "I want to go home."

"Cross an ocean, and make it to the other side. That is a big dream." Jay laughed. He knew that both of their dreams were possible, but only with the right tribe.

"Are we getting any closer?" Stephanie asked stopping to pick up Honesty.

"We're here." Jay said smiling at Mackenzie.

They walked into the mall and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Ebony woke up startled, she sat up in bed, and looked around the room. It was empty, she couldn't remember the last time she had slept so long. Her whole body felt heavy. She knew she had slept hard.

She slowly made her way to the café, things were rather quite, she knew it was well into the day. She stopped just inside the café, not surprised to see Tai-san, sitting with two cups of tea, waiting for her.

"I though you'd be up." Tai-san said as Ebony sat down across from her. "And I didn't say anything. I just told him that he and Amber might want to stay away from you for awhile." She said sitting down with Ebony.

"I should have known better." Ebony said as she drank the tea. "Everyone always goes to Amber."

"Don't be hard on yourself. I even thought he was good and I'm hardly wrong about that." Tai-san said.

"I can't help it." Ebony said rubbing her head, hoping the words would stop playing.

"It could be possible that nothing happened, they could have just been talking, the way we are right now." Tai-san said.

"Talking?" Ebony asked looking around the café. "In the middle of the night?"

Tai-san sat looking at her cup for a moment. "It's a possibility."

"But I don't know that." Ebony sighed. She hadn't feeling weak and needy. This wasn't her. This wasn't the girl she had ever been.

"Why don't you just ask him? It's better to just be direct and find out the truth, isn't it?" Tai-san asked.

"What good is that going to do?" Ebony asked. "He could lie, and say anything he wanted at that point."

"Then you have to go with what your heart tells you. If you think it was more than that, then maybe it was. But there is no way to tell, unless you just ask him about it." Tai-san said smiling at Ebony.

"I don't know what my heart is trying to tell me. I have never listened to it before and I don't see a reason to start." Ebony said standing up. "Send him to my room when he gets back."


	3. Part 6 & 7

**Part 6**  
>Jay, Jack, Paul, Mackenzie, Steph and the kids walked up the stairs to the café. Tai-san was still sitting in the café, two cups in front of her.<p>

"You're back." Tai-san said standing up smiling.

"Where is everyone?" Jack asked.

"Cloe and Patsy are in their room. Trudy is in her room with Salene and Brady. Danni is watching BJ and Johnny while Amber and Bray are out and Ebony is in her room waiting for you, Jay." Tai-san didn't want to look at him angry, but she knew it was hard.

"Ebony?" Stephanie asked looking over at Jay. She laughed and pointed at Jay. "You're Jay."

"Yeah." Jay said looking at her as though she was crazy before placing the bags of food on the table. "We went over that already."

"Who is this?" Tai-san asked looking at the girls then the kids and then Paul. She glanced up at the little by still on Jay's shoulders.

"This is Mackenzie, Stephanie, Honesty and Lane." Jack said. "And this is Paul, Patsy's brother."

"It's nice to meet all of you." Tai-san said smiling at them.

"We're going to go find Patsy." Jack said looking over at Mackenzie.

"It was nice meeting you as well." Mackenzie said smiling at the girl. She looked over at Jay, waiting for Lane.

"What?" Jay asked looking at her. "Oh, that's right, the boy. Where did he go?" he asked turning in a circle.

Lane laughed and knocked on his head. "Up here."

"Oh right, I forgot all about you. Sorry about that." Jay laughed as well, taking the boy down and placing him back on the group.

"It was an amazing view, thank you!" he put his hand out for Jay to shake.

"Anytime." Jay said shaking his head. "I'll be off now. It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you as well." Mackenzie smiling at Jay.

Ebony sat on her bed waiting for Jay to come back. She looked up when he came through the door.

"What happened last night? Tai-san told me you had a nightmare. Why did you come get me?" he asked worry.

Oh just cut the bull. Ebony wanted to scream at him but remembered what Tai-san had said, she had to remain calm. "I did, you weren't in Lex's room." Ebony said looking at him. "What did you do last night?"

"What do you mean?" Jay asked. He wasn't sure if he should tell her the true or not.

"Last night, where were you?" Ebony asked again, feeling her throat get tight.

"I don't know, I must have been in the bathroom." Jay said looking her in the eye. He felt bad it was so easy to lie to her.

"Really?" Ebony asked. That answer alone told her all she needed to know about what happened last time. It told her all she wanted to know about Jay.

Jack walked into Patsy's room and saw her and Cloe talking about the baby.

"Hey." Jack said walking over to them.

Patsy and Cloe both jumped when they heard Jack speak.

"Don't do that!" Cloe said getting up and putting her arms around his neck. "God, it could have been Ved."

"Aren't you back kinda early?" Patsy asked.

"Yeah well we found someone that you might like to see." Jack said pointing to the door.

"Who'd you bring back?" Cloe asked kissing him.

"Just an old friend." Jack said smiling.

"Okay well where might this old friend be?" Patsy asked.

"Come in." Jack shouted.

Two girls holding two little kids came in the door with another boy.

"Oh my god." Cloe said letting go of Jack.

Patsy just looked at him like she was in a dream.

"I though you might like to see this one." Jack said smiling with his hands still on Cloe's waist.

Ebony pushed Jay away from her when he tried to kiss her. "Don't." she looked him in the eye. "Don't touch me."

"What's wrong?" Jay asked, unsure of what had upset her.

"I told you, I don't like liars, and you're lying." Ebony wanted to punch him, or hurt him in some way.

"What are you talking about?" Jay asked, confused.

"I am going to ask you one more time, and I want you to tell me the truth." She said taking a big breath, "Where were you last night?"

Jay sat looking at her. Did she know? Had she heard him and Ved talking last night, or maybe him and Amber? Tai-san's words quickly flashed through his mind. "You might want to stay away from her, you too Amber." She had heard them talking. He knew that was the least of his problems then.

"Last night, I went to the café, talked with Ved for awhile, things with Cloe aren't going well. Then Amber showed up, Ved left after awhile, and Amber and I talked awhile longer, mostly about you. Then I went to bed." Jay said wondering if she would question any of that.

"And you weren't flirting with her? She wasn't flirting back with you?" Ebony asked, arms folded in front of her.

"I had no intentions of flirting with her. If it came across that way, I honestly didn't mean it to. She may have been, but my mind was only on you, and the feelings I have for you." Jay told her. It was true, that was what he had been thinking about the night before, it was what he thought about most of the time.

"Why should I believe you?" Ebony wondered out loud.

"Because I have no reason to lie to you." Jay told her moving closer to look her into the eyes with more passion. "I don't want to lie to you about anything, ever."

Ebony said looking at him, somewhere she had lost the urge to punch him. She nodded her head a little, and let Jay hug her, but she didn't hug back, not yet.

**Part 7**  
>Amber and KC meet up with Ved and Ryan about three hours before sunset. They had only found a little food and hoped the others had more luck.<p>

"Come on you guys lets head back to the mall." Amber said with a sigh.

"So what'd you guys find?" KC asked Ved.

"Not much. Trading stuff mainly, a few cans." Ved said. "What about you?"

"Same and some baby stuff for BJ." KC said as they walked along.

"Oh my god is it really you?" Patsy said touching her brothers face. He and two girls with kids walked into her room were she was talking with Cloe.

Paul started signing at his sister but it was one of the girls who said what he was saying.

"It's really me Patsy. I'm sorry I was gone for so long. But I'm back now." She said.

"Can you tell him something?" Patsy asked the girl.

"If you say it slow he can read your lips." The girl said putting the boy down she was holding and taking his coat off. The other girl did the same.

Patsy didn't know what to say. She just put her arms around her brother and held him. It had been so long since she had seen him and she though he was dead, but he was right in front of her. "Is this a dream?" she asked.

Paul started signing again and the girl spoke. "No it's not a dream. We came here with Jack and a blond boy. Oh yeah I forgot to tell you." She said then singed something to him. (Jay's name)

Patsy looked down at the little kids who ever standing behind Paul. "Oh are they yours. They are so cute." Patsy said bending down and touching the little girl.

"Don't touch me!" the little girl yelled and Patsy pulled back fast.

The shorter blond haired girl who had been holding her just laughed but the other one took her hand and slapped it.

"They are mine." The girl said smiling at Patsy. But started speaking for Paul again when he started signing. "Cloe don't be scared of me." She said.

Cloe stepped up to Paul and hugged him. "How have you been?" she asked him.

"Fine. I made a new family but came back to my old one." The girl said as Paul signed it to her. "This is my family." She said stopping to let a few tears fall down her cheek. Then she put her hand out. "I'm Mackenzie. These monsters are Honesty and Lane and this is Stephanie." Mackenzie said with a smile.

Just then Amber, Ved, KC and Ryan came running into the room along with the other mallrats that where there.

"We heard some one scream." Ved said walking over to Cloe but stopping when he saw the other two girls in the room.

"Paul?" Amber grasped when she looked at him.

"Hello Amber." The tallest girl said as Paul singed. "Ryan."

"I'm lost." Amber said pointing to Mackenzie then Paul.

Mackenzie looked around the room everyone looked confessed. She let out a sigh and got into her bag. She handed Patsy a pad of paper and pen. "You can talk to him like this for now." Mackenzie said. She then signed something to Paul and picked up Lane. "I would love to answer everyone's questions, but I hate hearing the same ones over and over." She said taking Honesty's hand and lending them out of the room.

"We can go to the café." Amber said leading the way.

The group of people walked into the café and saw Jay, Tai-san and Ebony.

"Well look who it is." Steph said as she walked into the café and looked at Ebony.

"Well I never though I would see you four here." Ebony said smiling.

"Ebony!" The little girl said running to her and hugging her leg.

"Okay wait, what?" Jay said pointing at Ebony then Mackenzie.

"Well sit down you can all have the whole story blondie." Steph said. She took Lane from Mackenzie, because she always used her hands when she explained things. She sat Honesty and Lane by each other and pulled out some coloring books and makers.

"Okay is this the whole tribe because this story is long and I've told most of it already today." Mackenzie said.

"My husband and our leader aren't here." Tai-san said.

"Oh yes that reminds me. Is there a Lex here?" Mackenzie asked looking around the room, when a voice came from behind her.

"Yeah I'm here." Lex said walking up the stairs with Bray. "Who are you?"

Mackenzie ran to him and pushed him. "You jerk. What the hell were you thinking? Yelling at a kid who can't even hear. You probably think you're all that and get whatever you want. Well news flash you stuck more than I did when I sucked my thumb." She said pushing him harder this time.

Lex feel back a couple steps and looked at the girl that was yelling at him. He walked back up the stairs and shoved her back.

Jay got up to stop it but Steph held him back. "She was working on getting her black belt, plus she's taken up a thing for kickboxing." She said as he sat back down.

Mackenzie swung her fist at Lex's face. It hit him. She pulled away and took her messenger bag off and then put her fists in front of her chin. She started to bounce from foot to foot. "I've been waiting so long to do this." She said.

Lex held his face where she hit him. That was it. He had a long day and wasn't going to take any **** from some little girl. He swung his fists at her but missed.

"Oh is that all you got?" Mac asked.

"She's going to kick your ass." Honesty said not looking up from her coloring.

"Honesty Kendal what have I told you about using that word?" Mackenzie asked not taking her attention away from Lex.

"She can't say it until she is as old as you." Lane said smiling.

"Thank you Lane. But I was talking to your sister." Mackenzie said swinging again and hitting him. "Now say sorry to everyone here."

"No!" Honesty said.

"Go sit in time out I don't want to hear it." Steph said. "End this already, it's getting boring."

Lex swung again but this time he ended up on the floor.

Mackenzie laughed at the sight. "Okay I'm done with that." She said running her figures through her hair. "Will you get up off your sorry butt and join us?" she asked

Lex facing everyone in the café who was really confessed.

Lex got up and sat down by Tai-san, who was laughing.

"Sorry about that, I've been storing up three years of anger and frustration for that." She said looking at the confused faces of the mallrats. "My name is Mackenzie, this is Honesty, Lane and Stephanie." Mac said pointing to the girl who just inches shorter than her. "Now to make a long story short, we met up with Paul not long after he left the mall. He's been with us since then, but when we came back to the city, he decided it was time to find his sister. We had heard a lot of rumors over the months we spent in the country side, things about the mall, and the mallrats. When we came to the city, Paul wanted to take his time, he didn't want to just show back up. But our plans changed, and we're leaving sooner than thought, so here we are."

"And you know Ebony, how?" Jay wanted to know.

"She was one of the first people I worked with when I came to the city. She needed some help with something, I did my job, and since then I've been helping her when needed." Mackenzie explained, leaving the details about what she did out.

"And you just stopped by the mall today?" KC asked.

"No, Jack and I asked them to stay the night, it wasn't safe for them where they were, it's safer here." Jay explained.

"You can't just invite anyone to stay here." Lex was angry, embarrassed and annoyed by this girl.

"Which is why we have to decline the offer." Mackenzie said nodding her head. "We came to say goodbye to Paul, but now we have to be on our way, we're leaving the city."

"Mac." Stephanie said grabbing her arm.

"Find Paul, we need to say our goodbyes." Mackenzie said nodding her head at the girl. Her word was final, everyone could see it in her eyes.

"Thank you for bringing him back here." Amber said walking up to her.

"He's family, I had to take him where he wanted to go." Mackenzie said.

"And thank you for all that food you gave us." Jay said walking over to her. "I just wish you would reconsider staying, at least until the morning."

"Why the rush to leave?" Amber asked looking up at Jay.

"Honestly, it will be safer when we're out of the city. I don't talk about my personally business with anyone other than those that need to know." Mackenzie said nodding her head at them, then turning which the children and Stephanie, to go find Paul and say good bye.

After she was gone Amber looked up at Jay.

"What food?" she asked.

"She's amazing, she had so much fresh food, things we haven't seen forever." Jay said pointing to the big bags on the counted in the café.

"We can't just let her leave." Jack said. "She was really scared just walking through the city."

"And why not?" Lex snapped. "That girl can take care of herself, she doesn't need a tribe."

"You're right she can take care of herself and the kids. She would make a nice addition." Jay said. "She knows how to talk with Paul."

"She's smart too, she can fix things, she can give us back light." Ebony said looking at all of them, surprised they didn't want to know more about her involvement with the girl, she figured it would come later.

"It would be good for Brady to have someone to play with." Trudy said.

"Does everyone think they should stay?" Bray asked.

Everyone but Lex said yes.

"Okay then they can stay, but only if they want to." Amber said smiling.

"We'll have to give her a reason to stay." Jay said looking at them. "She's dead set on leaving tonight, she doesn't seem to understand that it would be safe here, that they are safest here."

"No offensive, but I'm not really safe anywhere." Mackenzie said coming into the conversation.

"It true, she's like a magnet for trouble." Ebony added.

"That would explain why she knows you." Trudy muttered.

"Ladies." Amber said looking over at Trudy then Ebony.

"We'd like it if you would stay, one night." Jay said stepping forward, placing himself between her and all the others, hoping to start the fight he could feel coming.

"Mommy." Lane said pulling on Mackenzie's hand. "Can we stay with Paul, just a little longer?" he asked. It was easy to hear the mix of his accent.

"Please." Honesty sniffed.

It was easy to see the look of defeat in her eyes, there was no way she could say no to either of them. She had two goals in life, protect them, and make them happy, at all costs.

"You can stay in my room." Ebony rolled her eyes, to her Mackenzie's kids made her weak, but at the same time, they gave her the drive and the strength to live the way they did.


	4. Part 8 & 9

**Part 8**  
>Amber walked into her room and found Jay in there.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Amber asked as she walked over to him.

"It's Ebony." Jay said. "She heard us talking last night."

"And?" Amber wondered.

"I can tell she doesn't like the fact that I have formed a friendship with you. I think it's best if we don't talk, in private anymore." Jay said keeping his eyes on the door.

"Because you don't want to upset her." Amber said understanding. "That is fine Jay. I just hope you know that if you have any problems you can come and talk to me, and Bray."

"Thank you for understanding Amber. That means a lot to me." Jay smiled at her before leaving the room.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
>Cloe walked into Jack's room and saw him looking at a book. "What are you doing?" she asked coming up behind him.<p>

"Just looking at baby names." Jack said showing her the book.

"Put the book down." Cloe said looking at Jack.

Jack put the book down and got up from where he was sitting.

Cloe put Jack's hands around her waist and hers around his neck. Then she kissed him. "I've missed you."

"Yeah I guess we have three months of time to make up for." He said pulling her body close to his.

"I wonder how we can make up for all that lost time?" Cloe asked as she walked over to his bed with his arms still around her.

"Maybe we should tell Ved first." Jack said as Cloe sat down and then pulled him down.

"Jack shut up." she said kissing him again. She laid down and pulled him down with her. "This is what we both want."

"Yeah but what about the baby?" Jack asked as Cloe took his shirts off and started working on his pants.

"The baby will be fine." Cloe said as she pulled his pants off.

Jack let out a little laugh as he started to undo Cloe's pants. "God you're so sexy when you're demanding." Jack said as she pulled them off herself.

"Then I want to stay demanding." Cloe said taking her shirt and bra off. She slowly started to kiss Jack.

"Those kids are making you soft." Ebony sighed, sitting down next to Mackenzie.

"Those kids make her soft? HA! She was soft even before they came along." Stephanie laughed. "Her problem now is that she spoils them."

"They need time to say goodbye to Paul, he's been a big part of their lives." Mackenzie said, trying to justify what she had done.

"But are you sure it's safe? After what you told me, you're in pretty deep this time." Ebony said, the wheels in her head already turning, trying to think of a way to help her. She saw so much of herself in Mackenzie, so much of the same need and want for power, but the they had different things driving them towards it.

"I don't think it's safe anywhere anymore." Mackenzie sighed, she looked down at the sleeping kids, they laid next to each other, under a pile of blankets with dirt smudged faces, and tangled dirty hair. This wasn't her world.

"If you don't want to stay, then just leave." Ebony said looking at Mackenzie. "I won't tell anyone, they won't think any less of you."

"I couldn't do that to Paul, although I'm sure he is expecting me to sneak off in the middle of the night." Mackenzie sighed.

"Then stay its one night, I think you'd be surprised at how safe it really is here." Ebony shrugged.

"We're staying." Stephanie sung, falling backwards onto the bed. "Just relax for a few hours, bust out a map and plan out our next move."

"I guess that is the smartest, and best thing for the children." Mackenzie said getting up and leaving the room.

"She's going to make herself sick if she keeps this up." Steph said looking at Ebony.

"Well at least she has you." Ebony said.

"Yeah, I might be her bestfriend, but I'm not a mother, they aren't my kids. Plus she doesn't tell me anything, not the things I need to know, like how she's feeling, or what she's really thinking about." Steph said.

"The ring she lost, she's got to be upset over it." Ebony said as she remembered that she didn't see it on her figure.

"Not that anyone can tell, but yeah." Stephanie said with a small sigh. "That's the only thing that keeping her dream alive."

"I think I know the guys you were dealing with, I'll see if I can find him." Ebony said smiling.

"Find who?" Jay asked coming into the room.

"Find the person that took Mackenzie's ring." Steph said getting up. "I'm going to go help Mackenzie with that map." She said leaving Jay and Ebony alone.

"What are you doing here?" Ebony asked Jay.

"I wanted to tell you that I talked to Amber, and she said she would keep her distance from me. I'm sorry that it upset you." Jay said putting his arms around her.

"Thank you." Ebony said.

"You want to stay in my room tonight?" Jay asked.

"I shouldn't leave Mackenzie here alone." Ebony nodded her head.

Jay pulled back and looked down at her. She was caring about someone other than herself, and that wasn't like her at all. She had only ever cared about herself. "They will have more room to sleep, if you are with me."

"I guess you're right. Plus I would hate to wake them up screaming." Ebony laughed when she thought about how scared Tai-san looked the night before.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
>Ved sat in the café by himself. He couldn't find Cloe anywhere and no one had seen her. He looked up when he saw someone walk into the café. It was one of the new girls.<p>

"Hello." Mackenzie said smiling.

Ved just nodded. He watched her get some water and sit on the other side of the café. Then Brady came running into the café and sat down next to the girl.

"Hello." Brady said.

"Hi." Mackenzie said back.

"Why are you dressed so funny?" Brady asked.

"Brady aren't you suppose to be in bed?" Ved asked coming over to where they were sitting.

"No. Mummy said I could stay up longer today." Brady said.

"Okay well then stop asking questions." Ved said sitting down.

"Yeah, why are you dressed so weird?" Patsy asked coming into the café and joining them.

"I'm not dressed weird you guys are. Just because my parents are dead doesn't mean my fashion sense is too." She said rolling her eyes with a laugh. Some of the outfit they wore looked okay, but she would never wear them, she was too much of a jeans and t-shirt girl.

"But don't you want to be apart of the new world?" Ved asked looking at her, and really noticing her for the first time. At first glance she looked plain, but he wondered if that was because of the way she was dressed. But when he looked at her now, he saw how bright her eyes shined, and how her lips sat perfectly on one another.

"I don't have to dress like I did it in the dark to be apart of it." Mackenzie said rubbing her figure where her ring use to be.

"Are you saying that we get dressed in the dark?" Patsy asked annoyed.

"Well the only thing that is lighting this place up is candles and the big fire that other tribe has going." She said.

"You're not from around here are you?" Ved asked noticing her accent was unfamiliar.

"No. I'm from the states." Mackenzie sighed thinking about home. Her heart gave a tug when she thought about what everyone there was doing and going through.

"How'd you end up here?" Patsy asked.

"Vacation, we couldn't leave once the virus hit, we were stuck here." Mackenzie said holding back tears.

"And the kids?" Patsy wanted to know.

"They're my sisters. She sent her kids over once she realized what was happening. When she died Honesty was four, Lane was almost a year, they were too young to remember…" she trailed off as the tears started to form in her eyes, she didn't want to cry in front of them, but thinking about her sister was too hard.

"I'm so sorry." Ved said starting to feel bad for her. She had such a beautiful face that was turning red from the tears that wanted to fall. Her eyes seemed to change a bright green as she fought back the tears, and Ved couldn't help but wonder what color they were normally.

"That must really suck. Not knowing who's dead or alive back home." Patsy said.

Mackenzie looked around at the three faces. "I don't think about things like that." She was starting to turn off her emotions, the muscles in her face changing, keeping it all hidden.

Ved watched and wondered how hard it really was on her, to sit there and think about them, how much of her really thought that they were all still alive?

"How could you not, I mean the rest of your family and friends." Patsy sighed. "I would have gone crazy."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you're not me." Mackenzie said standing up. She looked over at Ved and tried to give a smile before leaving the room.

"Well she is different." Patsy said standing up.

"Yeah but I like different." Ved said as she left.

"I think you have a crush!" Brady said running away.

**Part 9**  
>"I can't believe the nerve of that girl." Lex said getting into bed. "Coming in here like she owns the mall."<p>

"Lex your only mad because you got your butt kicked, by a girl, in front of everyone." Tai-san said pacing around the room.

"Tai-san babe, come to bed." Lex said patting the place next to him.

"I will soon, I promised Ebony I will help her with something." Tai-san said sitting down.

"Helping Ebony, with what?" Lex asked laying all the way down in bed.

"You know I can't share that information with you." Tai-san said looking down at the dried roots and leaves in front of her. "I think I'll go see her now." She said gathering the ingredients for tea and kissing Lex good bye.

"Where is Ebony?" she asked when she got to the room, and didn't see her there.

Mackenzie jumped at the sound of Tai-san's voice. "Don't do that to me." She said holding her chest.

"Sorry." Tai-san said walking over to her and sitting down. "I'm looking for Ebony, is she here?"

"She went to Jay's room for the night." Mackenzie said yawning.

"You look tired you should get some sleep." Tai-san said studying the girls pale face. She looked up at her sad eyes and noticed the dark bags for the first time.

"She thinks sleep if for the weak, I wouldn't blame her, this floor is hard." Stephanie moaned from the floor by the bed.

"Here." Mackenzie said throwing her two more blankets.

Tai-san watched as the girl took the blankets and placed them under her. She then looked back up at the other girl. "You really should sleep." Tai-san said.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead." Mackenzie said closing the book she was writing in. "There are more important things I have to deal with."

"Can I make you a cup of tea? It'll help relax you at lest." Tai-san smiled at her.

Together the two of them walked to the café.

"Ved you're still up." Tai-san said walking over to the counter as Mackenzie sat down.

"Yeah, Jay kicked me out." Ved said with a sigh. He looked over at Mackenzie who was still looking at the finger that once had a ring on it. "It's weird isn't it?" he asked her.

"Huh?" Mackenzie asked looking up at him.

"Not having something on that finger. It feels weird." Ved said.

"Yeah, I've never gone without it before." Mackenzie answered.

"Here." Tai-san said handing her a cup.

"Thank you." Mackenzie said taking the cup from her. "I'm starting to get the feeling that there aren't too many dull moments around here."

"Hardly," Ved laughed. "But I don't know why, there isn't much to do."

"I'm sure I can find something to do." Mackenzie smiled at him.

"I hope that you will decided to stay longer, from what Jay has told me, we could really use your help around here." Bray said walking into the café.

"Thank you, but as I said before, we're leaving as soon as we can." Mackenzie said smiling.

"Well maybe you could take a look at the generator before you leave, Jay said that you had working lights and Ebony seems to think that you'll be able to help us." Bray said sitting down.

"I guess I could. I don't know much about here, or the set up this city had before. We've just always had backup generators." She said looking around at all the candles. "But it is a fire hazarded and with small kids around, it's dangerous. They could knock one down and the whole place would go up." She thought about Honesty and Lane, how safe they were at that moment.

"How long do you think it would take to fix the lights?" Ved asked. He knew that they could use her if the rest of his tribe came to this city. She was smart and fast on her feet.

"It all really depends on the cities power, and fuses. I'm sure you've already used it till it was dry, which could make it harder." Mackenzie said.

"But you still think you would be able to fix it?" Ved asked.

"If I was here long enough I'm sure I could, but I don't want to stay." Mackenzie said looking at Bray, knowing he would push the subject.

"We would like it if you did though." Bray said standing up. "Well I'm going to bed."

"Good night Bray." Tai-san said smiling.

"Night." Bray said leaving.

"I should go as well." Tai-san said getting up.

"You really won't stay for awhile?" Ved asked looking at her. They were finally alone in the café, and able to really talk. He wasn't sure if he should trust this girl, he wasn't sure if he should trust any of the mallrats. But together him and his brother had decided what to do.

"Honestly, I don't want to stay, I don't want to be here now." Mackenzie sighed, she felt defeated. "But I have problems saying no, and letting people down."

"You like to help, there is nothing wrong with that." Ved responded.

"Yeah, but sometimes you need to be able to say no, and I always feel so guilty when I do. It's hard to explain." She said shaking her head and looking at him. "Sorry to bore you with that, I don't normally talk about myself."

"So what do you normally talk about?" Ved asked with a laugh.

"I normally listen to everyone else. I don't have a lot of time to talk with Honesty and Lane around. And Stephanie doesn't like to listen, Paul is really the only person I can talk to. And he doesn't really talk back." Mackenzie had to laugh at that.

Ved laughed as well. He could already tell that his girl has the right sense of humor. "Where did you learn to fight?" Ved asked after a minute. "For the whole time I've been here, I've never seen anyone move the way you do in a fight."

"I have my red belt in karate, I'm a quickly learner." Mackenzie smiled at him. "Plus I've been picking up a little boxing here and there, you'd be surprised at how useful it is to know how to fight, my brother use to tell me I would never have to fight, I've proved him wrong."

"You have a brother?" Ved asked leaning forward on the table. He was determined to unwind the mystery within her.

"Yeah, he was between my sister and me, but I don't know what happened to him, I don't know what happened to anyone back home." She looked away from him quickly. Talking about the people she couldn't find hurt.

"I'm sorry." Ved said knowing he had hit a subject that she wasn't ready to talk about.

"It's alright, I'll make it back someday." Mackenzie smiled trying to change her tone. "So what about you? Obviously you have Jay, but anyone else?"

"No, just us two." Ved nodded.

"No tribe?" Mackenzie asked looking down at his hand, he didn't wear the mallrats mark. "I've been here since the virus, I know that everyone has a group of people they live with."

"We did, but we left them, we wanted to find something better." Ved, for the first time since coming to this city told the truth. He wasn't sure why he had picked her to talk to about it. He just left like there was no reason to lie to her about any of it.

"Do you think you've found something better? Here with the mallrats?" Mackenzie asked. She had heard so many things about this tribe from the city kids, and so much from Paul, that it was hard for her to know what they really were about.

"I'm not sure. They seem to be good, at lest to each other. But they aren't really trying to do anything about city, or the fact that this place is falling apart. I mean they don't even have back up generators running, they aren't really trying." Ved started off on a rambled but caught himself before he said more.

"Back up generators?" Mackenzie looked at him. "You know I don't think they need me around if they have you. Why haven't you got things running around here?" Mackenzie wondered. If he knew as much as he seemed to, there was no reason he couldn't help them.

"No one ever asked me to." Ved said simply. "Plus like you said, they could have already burned them out."

"I wouldn't put it past Ebony to already have them running in certain parts of the mall." Mackenzie laughed. "You know she has camera's hooked up all over this place?"

"What?" Ved asked looking around the ceiling. He had never seen anything. But he looked in the corner above a cupboard Mackenzie was pointing at, and sure enough there was a small black security camera. "How did you know?" he asked laughing and turning back towards her.

"She's Ebony." Mackenzie smiled. "Plus I helped her get them all, once I got here, it wasn't hard to put two and two together."

The two of them continued to talk and laugh about things. They seemed to have just as much in common as any two outsiders in the mall could have.

"Cloe why is it you put on my boxers?" Jack asked watching Cloe from his bed.

"Because they are comfortable and I'm tired so I don't want to go to my room and get my PJ's then have to come back here." Cloe said getting back into bed with Jack.

"You are to perfect." Jack said wrapping his arms around her.

"That I know." Cloe said with a giggle. "I'm sorry about not telling Ved today."

"Don't worry about that. We'll get to that in the morning. We should tell everyone about the baby as well." Jack said kissing the back of her neck.

"EWW…Jack slobber." Cloe said playfully wiping off the back of her neck.

Jack let out a laugh. "I love you Cloe." He said softly.

"I love you too Jack." Cloe said kissing him. "I wish we could never leave this room."

"Yeah well I wish that this could last for ever." Jack said smiling at her.

"Just never let go of me Jack." Cloe said closing her eyes.

"Sleep tight." Jack said kissing her forehead.

Patsy looked over at her brothers sleeping face. He looked just like the same angel when he was there three years ago. Only he was taller and his hair was grown out.

"Hey Patsy." KC said walking into the room.

"Hi." Patsy said as he sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're happy he's back aren't you?" KC asked.

"Yeah I really am. It's been so long and I forget what it feels like to have a family member." Patsy said smiling.

"He's home now." KC said holding her tighter. "So have you heard anything about what's up with Cloe and Jack?" KC asked.

"Yes KC I know she's pregnant." Patsy said with a sigh. "It's just so weird. I mean her and Jack. I never would have guessed."

"Yeah. I wonder when they'll tell everyone." KC said.

"It'll be soon because she is kinda showing already." Patsy said with a laugh. "So what do you think of the girls, Mackenzie and Stephanie? "

"They're both hot. That Mackenzie girl can kick a$$ for being so small. But I have to hottest girl in the tribe right here." KC said making up for calling them hot.

"Yeah up better start sucking up." Patsy said smiling. "I should get some sleep. I think Mackenzie will want to start teaching me in the morning."

"Yeah. Ved's staying with me tonight so I should go." KC said getting up. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead then left the room.


	5. Part 10 & 11

**Part 10**  
>Ebony was standing in Jay's room when she heard Tai-san. She turned to the door and walked over to her. "What's up?" she asked.<p>

"I wanted to bring you some tea, to help you sleep better." Tai-san smiled handing her the cup.

"Thank you." Ebony said taking the cup. "He asked Amber to keep her distance."

"And do you believe him?" Tai-san asked.

"I have no reason not to believe him. He told the truth, about what they talked about and everything. He seemed upset that it upset me." Ebony smiled at her.

"Well, then I guess only time can tell now." Tai-san nodded at her. "I hope you get better sleep tonight." She smiled before leaving.

Amber couldn't sleep. Jay had asked her to not meet in private anymore, but this was the time they would normal meet, and talk. She sighed and rolled over, looking at Bray. He was fast asleep. She kissed the tip f his nose and pushed herself out of bed. She needed to go to the café, even if he wasn't going to be there, she still had to go.

Jay felt bad about leaving Ebony in his bed. He sat down at the table and looked over at Amber. Her face was red from crying. "What?" he asked.

"I didn't think you'd come." Amber said looking at him.

"I don't know why I did." Jay sighed looking down at the ground. "But I have nothing to say."

"Then why'd you come?" Amber asked.

"I'm leaving." Jay said standing back up. "It's habit to come here Amber, but it's one I need to break."

"Good night Jay." Amber said as he walked out of the café.

Ebony sat on the edge of the bed. Jay wasn't there. She wasn't sure when he had left, but she knew why. She could feel the anger pulsing through her, the voices in her head, telling her how much of a jerk he was.

Jay walked back into the room slowly. Ebony was up. "You're awake." He said softly, going and sitting next to her.

"Yeah, looks that way." She said keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Is everything okay?" Jay asked.

"No." That was all she had to say, all she could say.

"I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to wake you. I just went to the café, when I saw Amber there I left. I swear to you." Jay said taking her hand, hoping that she would look at him.

"I have no reason to believe you." Ebony said standing up and taking one of the blankets off the bed. She headed towards the door.

"You have no reason not to believe me." Jay whispered.

Ebony paused at the door, but she didn't turn around to look at him. She took a deep breath and left the room.

**Part 11**  
>Trudy woke up to the sound of Brady screaming. She slowly rolled out of her bed to find that Brady wasn't in the room. She walked up to the café to see Brady fighting with the littler girl twice her age.<p>

Mackenzie walked into the café to see Honesty trying to keep her coloring book away from the other child. She walked over to them and ripped it away from both of them. "Not before breakfast." Was all she had to say and Honesty sat down with a heavy huff and pushing her bottom lip out as far as it would go.

Brady started to cry.

"It's too early for this." Stephanie said coming into the café with Lane. She looked down at the little girl and put her fingers to her lips.

"What do you think you are doing?" Trudy asked, shocked at how her daughter was treated.

"She's yours?" Mackenzie asked pointing to Brady, who was still crying loudly.

"Yes." Trudy said picking her up to comfort her.

"Then start taking care of her. She needs to know that not everything in this world belongs to her." Mackenzie said handing the book back to Honesty. "And you stay out of my bag."

Honesty looked up at Mackenzie and smiled. "Sorry."

"Well I think you need to teach yours to share." Trudy snapped at her.

"To early for fighting." Stephanie said again. "Mackenzie just let it go."

"I think I'll go to the bathroom and get the kids ready to leave." Mackenzie said holding back her anger. She took the kids hands and walked with them to the bathroom.

"I can't believe her, she is so rude." Trudy said sitting Brady down.

"What and you aren't?" Stephanie asked leaving.

"Good morning Trudy." Salene said coming into the café with a smile. "What's wrong?" she asked when Trudy didn't reply.

"Oh that Mackenzie girl is just terrible, she made Brady cry, and you wouldn't believe what she said to me!" Trudy said disgusted.

"Why don't I make something to eat, anything in mind?" Salene asked.

"I don't care." Trudy said with a sigh.

"Good morning." Bray said coming in and sitting down with BJ. "How are you Trudy?"

"Bray I want to talk to you about getting that girl out of here. I will not stand for someone being so rude to me or my daughter. You wouldn't believe what she did this morning." Trudy said.

"You mean Mackenzie?" Bray asked.

"Yes. She was being so rude to Brady. She ripped a coloring book away from her, can you believe that! Brady is just a child, and she just came in and took it from her. And the way she talked to me, it was unbelievable." Trudy said.

"Trudy I don't understand. That doesn't sound like something she would do." Ved said. He had walked into the café in time to hear Trudy's story.

"So she is going to be allowed to take things away from Brady? She doesn't even know who she is. She is the first child of the new world!" Trudy was upset. She couldn't believe that Ved was taking her side, or that Bray was doing nothing about it.

Mackenzie was walking quickly back into the café. Her normal happy expression was gone, and her lips were set in a hard straight line, her eyes fixed on Trudy. "You know what, I want to finish this right now." She said walking up to Trudy, who was sitting at a table with Bray. Her voice was even and controlled.

Everyone in the café turned to look at the mad girl. Trudy stood up quickly.

"Honesty knows better than to take things away from people. Sure, she has a smart little mouth but she knows to share her things." Mackenzie told her. "She knows that if someone asks her for something, she needs to share. So don't you dare think that my children are rude, or me for that matter." Mackenzie pointed a figure at her. "Maybe you should try spending more time watching your daughter than sleeping, because you sure as hell don't see anyone else around here letting their kids run wild!" Mackenzie turned back around and left the café just as mad as she had come.

Ved couldn't help but clap. "You know she's got a point." He said standing up and looking at Trudy. "Try watching your own kid. Maybe even teach her some manners." He started to walk after Mackenzie, still laughing.

Everyone just watched with their mouths open. Trudy couldn't believe that the girl had to nerve to say that to her. Bray couldn't believe how mad she was about it. And Salene had never seen anyone talk to Trudy like that.

Cloe woke up with a smile on her face that soon faded away. She got up from bed and ran to the bathroom. She locked out of the stalls.

"Are you okay?" asked a little voice.

Cloe didn't know who was talking to her. When she came out she saw a little boy standing there, looking up at her.

"Well are you?" the little boy asked again.

Cloe nodded her head and walked all the way out into the room to find two older girls and a little one.

"You're pregnant aren't you?" Mackenzie asked.

Cloe nodded her head.

"Good news, right?" Mackenzie asked, unsure of the expression the girl wore.

"Yeah, of course." Cloe said getting her toothbrush.

"Can I ask who the father is?" Stephanie asked dressing the kids.

"Yeah, it's Jack." Cloe said.

"The dorky one, with the red hair?" Stephanie asked with a smile.

"Yeah, that's him." Cloe said laughed.

"Does Ved know?" Mackenzie asked trying not to look at her.

"No, it's complicated." Cloe said.

"Everything is complicated, that's why it's life." Mackenzie smiled

"Jack and I were together, but then broke up, and I was with Ved, but I never really got over Jack, and then I found out I was pregnant, and Jack and I are working on things." Cloe said with a sigh and smile.

"And you haven't told Ved yet?" Mackenzie asked standing up.

"How'd you know?" Cloe asked.

"Honestly, I talked with Ved for a long time last night." Mackenzie looked at her for the first time.

"Cloe?" Jack asked from the other side of the bathroom door. He opened it and looked inside, seeing everyone standing there

"Hi." Cloe said walking over to him and putting her arms around his neck.

"And now that father arrives. Okay now is all we need is the boyfriend and we would have a soap moment." Stephanie said.

"This isn't TV. It's their life." Mackenzie said shaking her head at her. "Congrats to the both of you." Mackenzie said smiling.

"They know?" Jack asked looking at Cloe.

"Yeah. They kinda found out on their own." Cloe said smiling.

"Okay." Jack said putting his arms around her waist. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Now let's go sit down for breakfast. We have announcement to make." Cloe said with a sigh.

Jack smiled and kissed her softly and then they left the bathroom with Mackenzie and the others behind them.

"Oh this is going to be good, can we please stay for this?" Stephanie said as they walked into the café and stood where they could see Ved's face.

"Is everyone here?" Cloe asked looking around. She saw everyone's face. "Okay. I have something to say." Cloe could feel the butterflies floating around in her stomach. "I'm…I'm…"

"Will you just say it so we can eat?" Lex asked.

Tai-san glared at Lex and hit him over the head. "You need to learn when to shut up Lex." She said.

Cloe looked down at Jack and took his hand. "I'm pregnant." Cloe said looking around to see shocked faces.

Ryan put his hand over Salene's mouth so she wouldn't yell at Cloe. Bray put an arm around Amber so she wouldn't get up and slap Jack.

Tai-san stood up and hugged her. "That's great Cloe."

"Thank you Tai-san." Cloe said.

"So can we eat now?" Lex asked.

Stephanie couldn't contain her laugher anymore. This was too funny for her. She had never seen anything like this before.

"Would you like to tell the rest of us what is funny?" May asked turning to look at her.

"Sorry," she said sitting down and holding her stomach. "Okay I'm done." She said when she felt Mackenzie hand on the back on her neck.

Ved let out a sigh. He knew it wasn't his kid. Cloe would have told him and it would explain why she was with Jack all the time. He stood up from the table that he was sitting at with Jay and Ebony and left the café.

Cloe started to go after him when someone spoke to her.

"Let me talk to him." Mackenzie said smiling at her. "It will be easier on the both of you." She could feel her heart break for him. She knew that he was hurting. She turned and hurried down the stairs that Ved has just gone down, with Jay behind her.

Cloe nodded and sat down with Jack. After that everyone went into there own conversations about the news.


	6. Part 12 & 13

**Part 12**  
>Salene couldn't believe Cloe. She had done everything to ruin her life in one night. She still didn't know who was to blame, who the father was. It couldn't be Ved because he was so mad and left when she told everyone. Maybe it was Jack. They had been spending a lot of time together but he would never do that. Salene let out a long sigh as she started to clean up the café after everyone eating.<p>

"Hey." Stephanie said sitting down.

"Hi." Salene said in reply.

"Why are you cleaning up?" Stephanie asked looking around at the café to see no one helping her.

"It's what I do. I'm kinda like the mom that does all the cooking and cleaning." Salene said.

"Does anyone in this mall take care of themselves?" Stephanie said. "Isn't the point of a tribe, to have a family and like, work together?"

"Yeah but they don't." Salene said with another sigh. "I think you and your friends and Paul where the first people ever to clean up after eating and make their own meal."

"That's the way our family works and the way Mackenzie likes it. We do what we can to help her out with everything." Stephanie said.

"You know you're right. That's the way it should be. Mackenzie seems like a very smart girl." Salene said sitting down. "She can sign, take care of you and the little ones and Paul, get things running and kick Lex's butt."

"Yeah, she enjoyed that." Stephanie said.

"You know, she would make a great teacher." Salene smiled.

Stephine laughed and stood up. "She has her own dream, and teaching isn't something she's all the interested in, unless it's with Lane and Honesty."

"Okay well thank you." Salene said as Stephanie left the café. Salene stood up and left the mess in the café and decided to pay Trudy a visit.

"Ved!" Mackenzie shouted as she ran down a street. She didn't know where he had gone, but she knew she couldn't just stop looking for him. She stopped when she saw him sitting in a doorway of an abandoned building. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he shouted at her. He was mad, and he knew he shouldn't take it out on her, but she was there.

Mackenzie didn't say anything to him. She just sat down next to him and on the stairs. Without really thinking about what she was doing, she picked up his hand and started to massage it. It was something that she always did to Honesty and Lane when they were upset.

Ved looked down at his hand and over at the girl next to him. He was comfortable with her sitting next to him. He still was angry, and hurt. But he liked having her sitting there. "I don't know what to do now." He said still looking at her.

Mackenzie sat there for a moment thinking. She didn't know what he should do either, but she knew she had to give him some idea of what to do now. She keep her eyes forward looking at the large pile of garbage along the street. "You could go back to the mall, and talk to your brother." She said finally turning to look at him. She was taken back a little by how close he was to her. She suddenly became aware of his hand in hers and let it go. "Sorry." She said looking down.

"It's okay, it felt good." Ved said rubbing his own hand, it was warm from where she touched it, it even tingled.

"My mom use to rub my hand when I was upset, it seemed to just make everything else disappear." Mackenzie told him, not wanting to think about his hand in hers, or what had happened back at the mall.

"If I go back, I'll have to see her, and him." Ved said, he would like nothing more than to just hit him. He was nothing but a stupid virt.

"But think of all the people you won't see again if you don't go back." Mackenzie made herself smile at him, a smile she always wore. "There is a saying in the states, I don't know if you guys had it here, before. Bro's over hoe's."

Ved shook his head.

"It means friends over girls. You can't tell me that you didn't make any friends while you there at the mall." She looked forward.

Ved looked at her. He had made friends, and even though he had only known her for a short time, he felt like she was one of his best friends already.

"Go back with me. If not forever, then at lest to see you brother. You said so last night, he's all you have in this world." Mackenzie stood up and put her hand out for him. "You don't have to stay there, I can take you to the place we were staying, but at least come talk to Jay. He's worried about you. Plus if you come back I won't look so dumb for staying another night."

Ved smiled and took her helping hand. There was something about those eyes, something that made it so he couldn't say no to her.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Patsy sat in the café watching Mackenzie's hands move. "There is no way I can remember all this." Patsy said.

"It's really not that hard once you get started." Mackenzie said. She had been sitting here since her and Ved had gotten back. "Look take this book and read it. That's how I learned." Mackenzie said handing her a book that was in her bag.

Patsy took the book and looked at the cover. "You mean you didn't know how to do this?"

"I knew some of the American stuff, but it's different here. I learned when I meet Paul. It only took me a few days." Mackenzie said getting up.

"Wow." Patsy said looking at her. "I think it's going to take me a lot longer."

"Look you read the book and I'll try my best to teach you." Mackenzie said smiling at her. Then she turned to Paul and started signing to him.

"What'd you tell him?" Patsy asked when she turned back around.

"Oh. Nothing important. I just told him to sign slow until you get it down." Mackenzie said smiling. "He's going to help you too.

"Oh." Patsy said getting up. "I really want to thank you for bring him back here."

"I didn't bring him back you did. You're the whole reason he came back." Mackenzie said smiling. "He use to talk about you all the time."

"Well thank you for making sure that he was okay and made it." Patsy said giving her a hug.

"It was no problem." Mackenzie said.

Stephanie let out a long sigh as she entered the cafe.

"What?" Mackenzie asked turning to face her.

"We have a problem." Stephanie said looking at her, she knew that Mackenzie could see the fear in her eyes already.

"What?" Patsy asked thinking something was wrong with someone.

Stephanie moved to show Honesty and Lane's face covered in war paint, the markings of the new world.

Patsy and Stephanie could see the anger in Mackenzie eyes.

"It comes off with soap and water." Patsy said hoping it would help but it didn't.

Mackenzie took two deep breaths before all of them headed towards the bathroom, Paul signing to the kids the whole way.

"Stephanie, who did this?" Mackenzie asked.

"That little girl's mom." Stephanie replied.

"Trudy?" Patsy asked.

"Yeah that's her name." Stephanie said.

"You mean the one from this morning?" Mackenzie asked as rubbed a wash cloth on Honesty's forehead.

"Yeah." Stephanie said doing the same to Lane as tried to understand what Paul was signing, she wasn't sure if he was making a joke, or a death threat.

"Honesty, why did you let her put this on you?" Mackenzie asked, slapping at Paul's hands.

"Oww." Honesty said. "She said it would make us apart of the new world."

"Sweetie you are part of the new world." Mackenzie said as she wiped off the water only to see that the makeup had hardly faded.

"This isn't going to work." Stephanie said when she wiped off Lane's face.

"Try it one more time." Mackenzie said handing the towel to Patsy. "I need to have a little talk with Trudy, and stop telling them I'm over reacting." She said throwing a towel at Paul before leaving.

"How I wish I could see this." Stephanie said as she went back to work on Lane's face.

Amber, Trudy and Salene where sitting in the playroom when Mackenzie came in. They watched as Mackenzie looked at the two kid's faces.

"I understand putting makeup up your own kids." Mackenzie said as calm as she could, she could feel her fist shaking. "But putting it on other kids with out asked their parents is the dumbest thing I've ever seen anyone do."

"Well they don't have parents to ask." Amber said. She was there when Trudy had but the makeup and Honesty and Lane.

"Shut your trap." Mackenzie snapped. "I don't want you ever touching them again."

Amber looked at Mackenzie with taken back. She was the leader, the reason she was allowed to stay.

"They wanted to be a part of the new world, the make-up makes them apart of it, it doesn't hurt them." Trudy said standing up.

"Yeah well you try washing it off their faces. We have a hard enough time getting jam off their faces we don't want to have to worry about paint." Mackenzie snapped back.

"You have no reason to be getting angry with us, this is our mall." Salene said standing up.

"You're right, this is your mall, and I don't need to be here." Mackenzie said before turning and leaving the room. As she headed back towards the stairs she saw Ved, waiting.

"You look upset." Ved told her as he followed her up the stairs, towards Ebony's room.

"I am madder than hell." Mackenzie screamed, clenching both hands into fists.

"What happened? We've only been here an hour or two." Ved said trying to keep up with her.

She didn't say anything until they reached Ebony's room, and she started to gather their belongings. "We're leaving."

"Excuse me?" Ved asked.

"Stephanie, Honesty, Lane and myself, I was stupid to think we should stay another day," she was frazzled, but stopped and looked up at him when he grabbed her hand, trying to undo her fist.

"Calms you done, remember?" Ved almost felt like laughing, he pulled her fingers back one by one and rubbed her palm.

She smiled and looked down at her hand. "Thank you." She sighed. "You are still more than welcome to join us, if you don't want to stay here."

"You're really leaving?" Ved asked.

"I don't get along well with girls, and there are a lot of them in this tribe." Mackenzie smiled as he let go of her hand.

"I will go back with you, but only until I figure out what I am going to do." Ved told her.

**Part 13**  
>All the mallrats where standing in the café unsure of what to do. Salene hadn't cleaned up from breakfast or made lunch and Cloe and Patsy where nowhere to be found.<p>

"Well Ryan she is your women, do something about it." Lex said turning to look at his long time friend.

"Lex shut your mouth. I have had just about enough of you." Tai-san shouted at him.

"We'll just have to do it all ourselves." Amber said smiling at them.

"That is the whole point." Stephanie said walking into the café she had her coat on, and Honesty and Lane's bags.

"What do you mean?" Bray asked looking at her.

"She doesn't really care to pick up after you all, three times a day." Stephanie said with a short sigh. "Guess she liked the way Mackenzie ran things." She glared over at Amber, and Trudy.

"What's your point?" Lex asked.

"Her point is that they worked as a family and didn't leave it all up to one person to handle." Tai-san said shaking her head at her husband.

"Thank you." Stephanie said smiled.

"Are you going somewhere?" Bray asked pointing at the bags.

"Obviously." Honesty said coming in and taking her bag.

"Say sorry right now or you'll go take a nap without lunch." Mackenzie said sitting Lane down and helping him with his coat, Paul followed in behind them, looking teary eyed.

"Sorry." Honesty said as she started to pout.

"And we're leaving, we've stayed longer than we needed too." Mackenzie said turning to look at the tribe.

"What, why?" Bray asked looking at her, unsure of what happened.

"Being the leader of a tribe is like being a parent, and we have different parenting styles." Mackenzie said as she picked Lane back up. "I control my children." She said looking right at Trudy.

"You can't control adults." Lex shout at her.

"Good thing I don't see any of those around then." Stephanie replied. She was always ready for a comeback.

"But Patsy." Cloe said looking at her.

"Patsy will be fine, she'll get the hang of it." Mackenzie said looking at her. "Thank you all for letting us stay, but, well, honestly, I just don't like half of you."

"Excuse me?" Bray asked.

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth." Mackenzie said before turning and leaving the café, everyone stared after them, unsure of what to say.

Salene walked into the café to find that everyone was standing around waiting for something to happen. She walked over and sat down at a dirty table and saw everyone watching Bray and Mackenzie. "What's going on?" Salene asked.

"Little miss thing just left." Trudy said with a laugh.

"Oh." Salene said.

"Tribe meeting now!" Bray said looking at everyone. He wasn't sure what had happened to upset Mackenzie so much, but he was going to find out. "So go get everyone and get back here."

Cloe ran off to find Jack and KC did the same for Patsy.

"Ved is gone." Jay said looking at Bray.

"We won't worry about him." Bray said.

When everyone came back, the café was loud with everyone talking about what had happened. Cloe being pregnant, Mackenzie leaving, and Ved.

"So what happened to make her so upset?" Bray asked loudly, so everyone could hear.

"Her and Trudy went at it this morning." Selene said.

"And then Trudy put make-up on her kid's faces. We couldn't get it off." Patsy said watching Paul, as he tried to sign something.

"What's he saying Patsy?" Amber asked.

"I'm not sure, hold on." Patsy said as Paul signed it to her again.

"This could take forever." Lex sighed

"Paul says she didn't want to stay in the first place, but not to worry Bray, she doesn't dislike you." Patsy said looking at her brother then at Bray. "She can't handle guilt, so she'll be back to help you with what was promised."

"Okay." Bray nodded, turning to look at Trudy.

"He also says, when she does come back, it would be best if Trudy and Amber were nowhere near her or her kids." Pasty added quickly.

"Amber?" Bray asked looking over at her, an eye brow raised.

"She was out of control, I had to say something to her." Amber said looking at him. She was upset that he was okay with all the things Mackenzie had said.

Bray sighed and turned to look at the mess in the kitchen. "As for this, we are all going to start cleaning up after ourselves. Stephanie was right when she said there were no adults around, look at this place."

"Adults didn't clean up after themselves." KC said.

"Well we are going to start, I don't know why we ever stopped." Bray sighed. "If you want lunch, I suggest you start cleaning."


	7. Part 14 & 15

**Part 14**  
>Amber couldn't believe that Bray had said nothing about the way Mackenzie had treated them.<p>

"How could you do that Bray?" Amber asked sitting down next to him as everyone else left the café.

"Do what Amber?" Bray asked smiling at her. "Look Mackenzie can help us get things fixed around here, I don't know why you went and upset her."

"She yelled at Trudy today for putting makeup on the kids faces." Amber said bouncing BJ on her lap.

Bray moved a bit so Amber could he could look at her. "They aren't Trudy's kids to be putting make-up on. How would you feel if baby Bray here came back covered in tribal marks?"

"Point taken." Amber smiled at him. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "I will apologize when I see her next, if I see her."

"Thank you." Bray said watching her leave with their son. He sat back in the chair and looked around. Everyone had cleaned up after themselves today, and it hadn't taken long at all. But maybe Mackenzie was right, maybe being a parent was like being a leader. You had to be firm yet flexible. He was so use to allowing the others to do as they please, that they hadn't been much of a family.

Cloe sat in her room feeling guilty about Ved being gone. "Jack's it's my fault." She said looking over at him and the baby name book he was reading.

"Cloe you didn't tell him to leave." Jack said still reading the book.

"Will you put that dumb book down and come over here?" Cloe asked.

"Yeah but I think I found the perfect name." Jack said walking over to her bed and sitting down.

"What is it?" Cloe asked.

"Halla or Aisha. Halla means an unexpected gift and Aisha means life." Jack said kissing her stomach.

"Okay so what if it's a boy?" Cloe asked with a giggle.

"There's Rance and Kosey. Rance means barrowed all and Kosey means lion." Jack said as he made his away up her body and to her neck.

"Well then you better pray it's a girl." Cloe said taking the book from him and tossing it to the floor.

"Stop thinking about Ved, Mackenzie found him earlier." Jack sighed looking down at her face.

"I should go look for him. I mean it is my fault." Cloe said standing up.

"It's not you fault Cloe." Jack said taking her hand and pulling her back down.

"I should have talked to him first, I shouldn't have done it that way. I can't believe how mean I was to him." Cloe said looking back up at Jack.

"You really want to talk to him?" Jack asked.

"Yes, no, yes, I don't know." Cloe sighed.

"I'll see if Ebony can tell me where he went to." Jack sighed pushing himself out f the bed.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
>"I can't believe that girl." Lex said as he hit the punching bag.<p>

"She said nothing about you." Tai-san said.

"That doesn't matter. Today she talks bad about our tribe, yesterday she fought me. I'm glad she's gone." Lex said.

"She wasn't speaking ill of anyone, she was just stating a fact. You know that Trudy tends to over step her boundaries." Tai-san said rolling her eyes.

"Still, I'm just glad she is gone." Lex said.

"Lex why don't you clam down. She is a great girl, and I'm sure there is more to the story than what we know." Tai-san said looking at all the bottles she had filled with things.

"Tai-san why don't we start a family?" Lex asked walking over to her.

"Because I don't know if I'm ready to do that again yet." Tai-san said turning to face him.

"I know your ready Tai-san. We both are ready. And I loved fussing over you when you were pregnant." Lex said sitting down on the bed and pulling Tai-san down to it.

"Are you sure you want to go through it?" Tai-san asked looking up at him as he laid down on her.

"There's nothing more I want to do." Lex said before kissing her.

"Fine." Tai-san said pulling away for air. "But not until tonight."

"Tai-san come on. You've gotten me down and everything." Lex said rolling off her.

"Lex we can wait until tonight. There are kids running around that might come in here." Tai-san said getting up.

"You're right." Lex said smiling. "I think I'll lay here until tonight then."

"No I think you'll go make you rounds before tonight." Tai-san said pulling his out of bed.

"Fine." Lex said putting on his coat. "I love you." He said kissing Tai-san before leaving.

"I love you too." Tai-san as she walked him out of the room.

**Part 15**

Cloe stood looking at Stephanie.

"How did you find us, exactly?" Stephanie asked. They had left the mall over three weeks ago, and this was the first time a mallrat had come to them.

"I convinced Jay to show me the way. I want to see Ved," Cloe said looking at her, unsure of what answer she was going to get.

"He's not here." Stephanie replied.

"What do you mean? He left, and came here, with you." Cloe asked, her words choppy. Maybe he really had disappeared.

"Mackenzie and him are out." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know when they will be back, but I really doubt he is going to want to see you."

"I just need to talk to him. Don't you think I should try and fix things, so he can come home?" Cloe asked.

"What I think doesn't matter. But I will tell you that he seems happy here, or at least happier." Stephanie sighed.

"I have to try. The mall is his home." Cloe replied.

"Then I guess you can wait." Stephanie rolled her eyes again. The drama the girls from the mall created seemed to match the drama of what you would find in a TV show. In her head she started to play out what could come from this girl being here, she couldn't help but laugh at all the different things her mind came up with.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

"How was Jay?" Mackenzie asked as she and Ved walked back towards their abandoned building.

"Still the same." Ved sighed looking over at her. "Thanks again for staying in the city."

"What else could I have done?" Mackenzie asked. "I didn't want to think that you would have slept in the street."

"Yeah, I would have." Ved laughed.

"Well then I guess you're lucky I'm around." Mackenzie said nudging him with her shoulder as they walked.

"Yeah," Ved laughed. He pushed the door open, and let her go in first. But his laugher was cut short when he saw who was waiting for him inside.

"Hi." Cloe said looking at Ved and smiling. She felt the guilt surge through her.

Mackenzie was frozen in spot for a second. She turned back and looked at Ved as the door closed behind them. She looked over at Stephanie, unsure of what had already been said.

"What are you doing here?" Ved asked looking at Cloe.

"I wanted to talk to you, to apologize." Cloe said quickly, stepping forward.

"I'm going to go see the kids." Mackenzie said walking into the room farther, and grabbing Stephanie's hand, pulling her out of the room.

"I don't want to talk to you." Ved said pushing past her, heading for another room, any room Cloe wasn't in.

"Ved, please." Cloe sighed going after him. "I didn't mean for you to find out the way you did. I wanted to talk to you first about it."

"Cloe, I don't want to talk to you." Ved said suddenly turning around and looking at her. "I don't want to have anything to do with you."

"I didn't come here so you could make me feel like a bad person." Cloe snapped back.

"You are a bad person, so I don't need to make you feel like that." Ved said looking at her in disgust. "You didn't have the nerve to end things with me, instead you went off and got pregnant, and then announced it to the whole tribe, in front of me."

"And I want to apologize to you." Cloe said, tears in her eyes.

"It's not going to work Cloe." Ved shouted. "Just leave."

"Not until you hear me out." Cloe shouted back.

"Fine, then I'll leave." Ved said before running back towards the door he had just come in. He couldn't be there. He couldn't think with her around.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
>Ved sat in the sand looking out over the ocean. Things seemed so clam out here. He looked up suddenly when he heard a sneeze. There coming up to him was the girls life he was going to have to ruin. He looked back over the ocean as she sat down next to him but looked back at her as she started to sneeze again and again. "Are you okay?" Ved asked.<p>

"Would you believe me if I said I was allergic to cold air?" Mackenzie asked holding her noise. When it was over she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Ved. "You shouldn't be asking me that though. I should ask you that. I heard everything, it was sort of hard not to."

"Jay thinks I should just be able to get over this, I mean I could have loved her. I almost threw away my life for her. I can't believe I was so stupid to let this happen. And Jay..." Ved said trailing off as he remembered what he and his brother had fought about earlier. There was no point in staying here, even if he had friends. He couldn't help to do what he had set out to do. It was his job.

"I wish I knew what to tell you but I don't. I want to tell you that you'll be okay, that everything will be okay, but I don't know that for sure." Mackenzie said looking at him with sorry eyes.

"It's not your fault. I should have known better than to fall for a virt anyways. They bring nothing but trouble to everyone and it won't matter soon." Ved said quickly turning away from her. He didn't want to think of her that way.

"Virt?" Mackenzie asked looking over at him.

"Nothing." Ved said covering up what he said. "Look I know you think I should just go back there, and act like nothing happened but I can't do that. I'm not that kind of guy. Can you tell Jay that I went back, back to our tribe?" Ved asked standing up.

"I wish there was something I could say to make you stay. You're the only person I've meet in a long time that I feel will listen to me just as much as I listen to them." Mackenzie said standing up as well. "But I know better than to try to guilt you into it." She laughed.

"Well thanks for not trying." Ved smiled at her. He turned to head towards the woods.

"Hey Ved," Mackenzie said before he got too far. She took a few steps closer to him. "I think you are someone I could love." This time she gave him a different smile. One she hadn't used in a long time, it almost felt foreign on her face. It was a smile she had only given to Ross, one that was filled with love.

Ved looked at her. Her eyes were larger than he thought they had been, and they were a deep shade of brown, not the green color they had been. Her round face looked tired, and the shadows under her eyes proved it. She was something to look at, almost like a book you didn't want to put down. But he knew what he had to do, it was to late for words like love to mean anything to him. "Yeah." Ved said forcing himself to turn and walk into the woods.

Bray slowly laid down the sleeping child and looked around the room. Everything was a mess. He looked down at his son's sleeping face and smiled. Johnny had gotten so big since Bray and known him, and Bray felt proud to be able to look down at this little boy.

"So here is where daddy is." Amber said coming into the room, with BJ in her arms.

"Hey sweetie." Bray said kissing Amber. "Sorry I didn't tell you where I was off to. I just wanted to see if I could put him down myself."

"Well it looks like you did a perfect job." Amber smiled at the other sleeping boy. It had taken a lot of time, but she was able to open her heart to Johnny, not just for Bray, but for herself.

"Kids are great, aren't they!" Stephanie laughed coming into the playroom, with Honesty and Lane walking behind her, singing.

"Stephanie, what are you doing here?" Bray asked walking everyone out of the room, so they didn't wake Johnny.

"Mackenzie asked us to meet her here. She went to look for Ved, and the kids wanted to see Paul." Stephanie informed them.

"How is Ved?" Amber asked.

"He was doing alright until Cloe showed up today." Stephanie told them.

"Cloe?" Bray asked. He sighed and looked down at the two little kids, who were still singing to each other.

"Paul is in the café." Amber smiled at them before they headed for the stairs.

Just then a sneezing Mackenzie came into the mall. "Do you know where Jay is?" she asked. She sounded all stuffed up and her face was red with tears running down it.

"Are you okay, did you find Ved?" Bray asked full of question

"I'm fine. I must be getting a cold or something." Mackenzie said heading up the stairs. "Yes I found him. Where is Jay?" she asked half way up.

"With Ebony." Bray said.

"Thanks." She shouted back at him with a sneeze.

Pride sat with Danni in the café. They were both mallrats and from the Eco-tribe so they didn't feel out of place like most of the others did.

"So what do you think about everything that's bee going on around here?" Danni asked her brother. This was the first time she had been in the café since they came to the mall.

"Well I like seeing Lex getting his butt kicked but I have a feeling that something is wrong. I mean I think some one is lying to the tribe about something." Pride said smiling.

"Well who do you think it is?" Danni asked.

"Those boys. Jay and Ved." Pride said looking at the cup of tea in front of him.

"Okay what do you think they're hiding?" Danni asked.

"How often do you go outside and run into two people who are by themselves and say they have no tribe?" Pride asked his sister.

"Never. All smart people have a tribe." Danni said. "But I get what you're saying. You think that they do have a tribe."

"Yeah but I think it's more than that." Pride said picking up the cup but putting it back down at the sound of someone sneezing.

"Hello." Mackenzie said sitting down in the café.

"Bless you." Danni said looking at the girl.

"Hello Mackenzie. Stephanie, Paul and the kids just headed off somewhere. Are you okay?" Pride asked.

"Fine." Mackenzie said with another sneeze. "I just wish this would pass."

"Danni use to get sneezing attacks when she was young." Pride said poring her a cup of tea. "Here drink this."

"Thanks but I hate tea." Mackenzie said. "I need to find Jay anyways." With that she got back up and left the café.

"Who was that?" Danni asked.

"That was Mackenzie. She's new. Her and her cousins and a friend." Pride said.

"Oh. What do you think about her?" Danni asked knowing that Pride as a feeling about everyone.

"I think she'll bring trouble from some mallrats but also a large amount of unity, and calmness." Pride said smiling.

"So nothing bad?" Danni asked getting up and taking Johnny out of the playpen.

"No." Pride said watching his sister. Still unsure of what she was going to bring to the mallrats.


	8. Part 16 & 17

**Part 16**  
>Ebony laid with her head on Jay's chest. His arms where around her and she felt safe yet she still wanted to kill him. She sat up when she heard someone come into the room. It was Mackenzie, she looked like she was crying.<p>

"Mac what's wrong?" Ebony asked.

"Nothing. Why?" Mackenzie asked with another sneeze.

"You look like you're crying." Ebony said.

"Nope, sneezing." Mac said plugging her noise. "Anyways, Ved."

When Jay heard his brother's name he sat up fast and looked at her. "What happened?"

"He said that he was going home. He took off through the woods and asked me to tell you that he was going back." Mackenzie said.

"He said what?" Jay said getting up off the bed and looking at her with fear in his eyes.

"He said he was going home." Mackenzie said slowly.

"Oh no." Jay said falling back on the bed.

"Jay what's going on?" Ebony asked.

"He's going back. He's going to tell them and then they'll come." Jay said shaking his head. He didn't want think about what was going to happen when Ved got back to the tribe. He would tell them about Jack and Mackenzie and how the city wasn't being run by anyone. Then they would come and take everyone and take over the city. If they came it would also mean that Java would come and Ebony would find out.

"What do you mean "they"?" Ebony asked with fear in her eyes.

"We need to get everyone out of here." Jay said standing up. "Mackenzie can you get everyone into the café now, we need to move fast."

"Yeah, sure." Mackenzie said with her noise still plugged. She found Bray and together the gathered the mallrats in the café.

"What is going on?" Patsy asked.

Everyone seemed to be talking in their own little groups. No one knew why they had been called to the café. Mackenzie had been gone for a while and they hadn't done anything to upset her during that time.

"Okay guys can I have it quite?" Bray asked standing up. "Jay would like to tell everyone something." Bray said glairing over at Jay who was sitting with Ebony.

Jay stood up and sighed. "We all need to get out of the city tonight."

"What do you mean? It's almost winter." Trudy said holding Brady.

"I have reason to believe that the Techno tribe is headed to this city. They will come here, take control of the city, and the kids in the city. Some of you will work for them if you're caught." Jay said looking around the room so see no one's face shocked. "They are a powerful tribe, with a lot of smart members. They are able to make the whole city run again, water, power, everything. I know this because they were my tribe."

"You lied to me." Ebony said softly as she stood up. She looked at him and backed away as he reached out to touch her. "You lied to me."

"Ebony wait-" Jay said as she ran out of the room with Mackenzie and Stephanie running after her.

"You lied to all of us." Tai-san said standing up. "So who are they going to take Jay? Any of us?"

Jay nodded his head and looked down. "They would take you, Bray, Pride, Mackenzie, Jack and May." He said with his head hung.

"No one is taking my wife." Lex said holding Tai-san closer to him.

"Why do you think I'm telling you all now?" Jay asked. "I want you all go get away before they come. I don't want to ruin your lives."

"But you were going to." Pride said standing up.

"No, that was never our intentions. We left them months ago, we didn't want to be apart of the things they were doing. But something made Ved go back." Jay said looking up.

"So what do we do?" Amber asked looking at everyone else.

"Like he said we have to get out of here." Cloe said holding Jack. "Unless we want to lose everyone."

"Where will we go? It's almost dark out and it'll be freezing out soon." Salene said.

"The freezing thing we can take care of with blankets and a fire. We just need to get out of here now." Jay said.

"Who said anything about we?" Lex asked standing up. "You've lied to us."

"And I know what they're planning on doing and where they're planning on going. It would be stupid of you not to take me." Jay said.

"We don't have time for this right now!" Bray said. "I want everyone to go to their rooms and pack everything and anything. Get on warm cloths and get back here as soon as you can. We leave in ten minutes."

With that everyone left the café and went to their rooms.

Ebony sat on her bed watching Mackenzie and Stephanie put the layers of clothing back on them.

"I'm not going." Ebony said standing up.

"You have to go!" Honesty demanded.

"This is my home and if some one wants it they're going to have to fight for it." Ebony said looking down at the little girl.

"Ebony we all have to go. I know you're mad at Jay but he told us and didn't let us wait and find out when they came." Mackenzie said standing up. "Steph go help Paul make sure he has on a lot of clothes."

"Okay." Stephanie said leaving the room.

"Ebony I need you to come with us. If you stay here then we are staying here and Jay said that I'm one of the people they will take." Mackenzie said. "Please come Ebony. For me, if they take me what would I do without these two? I've spent the last four years of my life taking care of other people and acting like the mother I never want to become. But then I found you and you started to care for me. Ebony you're my mother just like I'm Honesty's, Lane's and Steph's. We all need you."

Ebony looked at Mackenzie then down at her cousins. They looked so cute with all their snow clothes on. She nodded her head and took the bag off her bed and started to shove clothes into it. She stopped when Jay came into the room.

"We'll go see how Steph and Paul are doing." Mackenzie said picking up the four bags and leaving the room with her cousins.

"What?" Ebony asked.

"Can we talk?" Jay asked.

"There is nothing to talk about Jay. You lied, to all of us." Ebony said going back to packing.

He could feel his heart sink with her words. He wanted to be able to explain to her that she was the reason he wasn't going to go back, the reason he had begged Ved not to go back, but he knew it was to late. "I'm sorry Ebony. I wanted to tell you about the tribe but I couldn't."

"You couldn't, it was just that simple." Ebony said looking at him again.

"What should I have told you? Oh hey, the tribe I came from, they like to go in and destroy cities before rebuilding them, but don't worry, they won't come here." Jay said annoyed. He had told them in enough time, they would all be able to get out safely.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Ebony screamed at the top of her lungs. She had had it with him.

"Ebony please." Jay said paging her as she walked toward him with hatred in her eyes.

Ebony just walked toward him as he backed out of the room. She could kill him right now but she had other things to worry about. "I never want to see you again. You can come with us but if I see you anywhere near me or Mackenzie and her family, I will not play nicely!" Ebony said calmly when he was out of the room. After she slammed to door shut and she went back to packing. Soon Mackenzie was standing in the room helping her gather things and lay things out to wear for the trip.

"I think that's about everything." Mackenzie said looking around the mostly empty room.

"Yeah." Ebony said nodding her head slowly has she put on another pair on pants on a sweatshirt that was Jay's. She picked up three of the bags that where packed and Mackenzie got the other two and they walked to the café. Almost everyone else was there.

"Jack found some strollers. This way we can push the kids and some bags." Mackenzie said hanging one of the bags over the stroller Honesty was sleeping in.

"Mommy are we going home?" Lane asked as Stephanie buckled him in.

"We're going to stop by there." Steph said smiling at him.

"Yeah we need to get some of your things." Mackenzie said putting a hat on Honesty's sleeping head. "Then you can get blue and Honesty can get her Barbie's."

"Mackenzie I can't do this." Ebony said shaking her head.

"Ebony why don't we stay at my place and leave early in the morning. You don't look so good." Mackenzie whispered into her ear.

"That sounds good." Ebony said nodding her head yes. "Let me say good bye to Jack before we go."

"Okay." Mackenzie said smiling as she turned to Paul. She began to sign to him to tell him what was going on.

Cloe hadn't let go of Jack since she heard Jay say that he was someone they would take. She didn't know what she would do without him. She was sitting on his lap looking around at everyone when Ebony came up to them.

"I'm going with Mackenzie." Ebony said talking to Jack.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"We're staying at her place tonight and then leaving at dawn. I'm not going with Jay and the mallrats." Ebony said sitting in the chair next to them.

"So you're leaving?" Cloe asked.

"Yeah." Ebony said nodding her head. "I guess I've just found something better. Any way's you guys are going out to the farm tonight, then heading to the Eco-Tribe's old place in the morning."

"Ebony it's not me you should be saying goodbye to." Jack said looking over at Jay.

"You know I think Mackenzie thinks the same thing." Ebony said standing up. "Cloe take care of him and yourself. One day I want to see a little boy running around with bright red hair or maybe a little girl with black hair and green ends."

"Ebony are you not coming with us?" Amber asked coming over to them.

"No and I bet that just makes you happy." Ebony said when she saw him look over at Jay then back to her.

Amber just looked at Ebony for a minute. Did she know?

"How does it feel Amber to always get my leftovers?" Ebony asked loud enough for Jack and Amber to hear.

"Ebony I'm really going to miss you." Jack said pulling her away from Amber. "It just won't be the same without you around."

"Yeah but you'll get by." Ebony said. "Jack, remember, no matter what happens something good will always come form it."

"Bye Ebony." Jack said hugging her then going back to Cloe.

May was very upset. She didn't want to lose Pride. She watched him as he talked to Bray about what they would do. The rest of the Eco-Tribe was waiting to hear about where they would all go and do. She turned to look at Danni who was sitting next to her holding Johnny. Danni seemed to stay so clam. She knew that if these people came that they would take the father of her baby and her brother. It seemed like she would lose more than anyone.

"We're going to the farm to stay with Alice's and Ellie. Jay doesn't think they will look that far out of town for people and Ved doesn't know anything about it." Pride said coming back to May and Danni.

"So how far away is it?" Danni asked looked down at her sleeping baby boy. He had gotten so big since she had first came back to the mall.

"It's not too far. You can put him in a stroller if you want." May said smiling over at her.

"Okay." Danni said getting up and leaving them.

"May are you okay?" Pride asked sitting in his sister's chair and looking at May.

"I don't want to lose you." May said putting her arms around his neck.

"You're not going to lose me. That's why we're leaving." Pride said with a laugh.

"Come on Bray wants to leave in 10 minutes."

"Okay." May said standing up.

**Part 17**  
>Amber watched the others, hurry around, she watched the Eco-tribe leave before them.<p>

"Amber lets go." Bray said pulling Amber out of thought.

"Okay." Amber said turning to face Bray with a smile.

Amber and everyone but Jay and Ebony walked into the cold night air. She could feel her noise turning red right away. She looked around to try and find Jay but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Bray maybe we should do a roll call and see if everyone is here?" Amber said.

"That's a good idea." Bray said smiling at Amber. "Amber you really should wrap up in a blanket. I don't want you or the baby getting ill." Bray said putting an arm around her.

"That's sweet of you Bray but you should be worrying about everyone else not me." Amber said smiling. She gave him a small kiss on the lips.

"Hey guys let do a roll call and see if we're all here." Bray shouted. He began to call everyone's name. 'Ebony?"

There was no reply.

"She isn't coming with us." Amber said smiling.

"Jay?" Bray shouted.

There was again nothing. Everyone seemed to look around for him.

"Ebony wanted to say good bye to him." Jack whispered into Bray's ear

Ebony stood behind Jay as everyone else walked out of the mall. She didn't want to do this but she knew she had to.

"I really am sorry." Jay said turning to look at her.

"I'm sure you are." Ebony said looking down. "So what else did you lie to me about?"

"You don't want to know." Jay said looking down.

"Did you use me? Was I just a toy in this whole thing?" Ebony asked.

"No. Everything I feel for you is real." Jay said walking towards her.

"And Amber?" Ebony asked.

"I swear to you nothing happened. We talked a few times." Jay said looking down into her eyes. They where filled with pain that he had caused. But he could see the love she had for him still in there.

"I wanted to say goodbye." Ebony said trying to pull her eyes away from him.

"Ebony what do you mean? I'm coming with you." Jay said still looking down at her.

"I'm not going with the mallrats. I'm going with Mackenzie and Stephanie." Ebony said. She knew she was going to give in.

"I'll come with you." Jay said placing his hand on her cheek.

"No. You can't." Ebony said no moving.

"Ebony I don't want to lose you." Jay said moving closer to her.

"It's to late." a male voice said coming up behind them.

Ebony looked at Jay and back into his arms to get away from the man that had come up behind them. His eyes where colder than Zoot's and he looked meaner.

"Lord Ram!" Jay said putting his arms around Ebony. He could tell that she was scared of something.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Ram asked looking at Jay then Ebony.

"Lord Ram we only found five virts in here." a girl said with a mask coving her face. The girl turned to look at Jay and Ebony. "Make that six. Would you like me to take her?" She asked Jay.

"No one's taking Ebony." Jay said putting Ebony behind him.

"Oh god." Ebony said as fear started to shine in her eyes. "Jay they have Mackenzie and the kids."

"Ebony, don't worry. I'll take care of it." Jay said looking at Ram.

"Jay, she's a virt." Ram said looking at Jay. "Have you become one as well?"

"No, my lord." Jay said. He couldn't let them take Ebony. He had to find a way to put all of this to a stop, without anyone getting taken or hurt. "She is no use to you my lord. Nor are her friends."

"That's not what your brother told me." Ram said.

"Yes Jay. Ved told us that you found some people that would really be a lot of use to us." The girl said stepping closer to him. She moved to where Ebony could hear and removed her mask.

"Siva?" Ebony asked when she saw her.

"Hello sister." Siva said smiling. "Java is here as well. I'm sure she'd be glad to see you Jay."

"Lord Ram, just let Ebony and her friends go. Please!" Jay said looking down at Ram.

"Jay that wouldn't be any fun." Ram said smiling. "Siva take her and put her with the others." Ram ordered.

"No!" Jay said firmly. "I'll take her."

"Very good." Ram said going back out of same way he came.

Jay turned to look at Ebony. He could see the fear in her eyes. "I'm sorry." He said taking her in his arms.

"Where are you taking me? Where are Mackenzie and Stephanie?" Ebony asked as Jay led her out of the mall. "Jay, tell me what's going on!"

When they got outside all they saw were Techno's. The mallrats must have left.

"Ebony I need you to know something." Jay said stopping and looking at her.  
>"I love you. I love you more than anything else. No matter what happens I need you to always remember that." Jay said.<p>

"Jay what is going on?" Ebony asked.

"Promise me you'll remember that." Jay said.

"Okay." Ebony said letting a tear fall. "I love you too Jay but you need to tell me what's going on."

"I can't tell you Ebony, not yet." Jay said walking toward a truck. "Here get in." He said.

"Why?" Ebony asked. She was beginning to think that she would never see Jay again.

"Mackenzie and the others will be brought to this truck, just get in." Jay said. He helped her into the back. He got in with her. "I'll try my hardest to get them to let you go to the base. If I can't then I'll come looking for you." Jay said placing a hand on her cheek again.

Ebony felt the tears stream down her face as Jay said those words. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. She waited for him to turn the kiss into more. He did.

Jay didn't want to pull away from Ebony but he had to find her friends. He pulled away and got out of the truck. He looked around. He saw Mega standing with Mackenzie and her friends.

"Jay, good to see you again." Mega said when Jay ran over to them.

"So you weren't lying about that tribe thing." Mackenzie said looking up at Jay.

"Shut up virt. That is no way to talk to the general." Mega said

"Hey it's not nice to call people names." Honesty said still sitting in the stroller.

"Mega it's okay." Jay said. "There is a truck ready for them. Mackenzie if you'll follow me I'll take you to see some friends."

"You're in deep mister." Mackenzie said as they walked away from that Mega guy.

"Look Ebony's in here. I'm going to try and not get you guys sent to the mines." Jay said standing in front of the truck. He could hear Ebony crying and it was killing him. "Tell her to come out." Jay said as they put the kids into the truck

Mackenzie looked at Jay before she got into the truck. "It's over for us isn't it? There's no way I'm going home."

Jay sighed and looked down. He looked up when he heard some one getting out of the truck. She was crying but stopped as she got out of the truck. He wrapped his arms around her.

Ebony felt safe with Jay's arms around her. Everything around them seemed to just stop and only they where moving. She tried to smile as he brought his face down to meet hers.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to keep you." Jay said looking her right in the eye.

"I know." Ebony said letting tears fall again. She put her arms around his neck and went up on tippy toes as Jay stood up straight. She looked around and saw someone glaring at them. The person looked like Siva. It couldn't be. Ebony let go of Jay and looked up at him. "Both my sisters are here aren't they?"

"Yeah they are." Jay said looking down at her. Java was going to find out soon about him and Ebony and Ebony would find out of him and Java.

"Send me away Jay. I don't want to be anywhere near them." Ebony said looking up at Jay. She knew that he could see the fear in her eyes.

"Ebony I can't do that. I love you to much." Jay said putting his arms around her waist. He leaned down at kissed her passionately.

That seemed to do it. The girl started to walk over towards them. Ebony knew when she got closer that it was Java. She pulled away from Jay and put her head against his chest. She tired to take in his smell before she had to leave. But the girl ripped them apart.

"Nice to see you again sister." Java said removing her mask. "Seems like you haven't changed much. Still going after what's mine."

Ebony just looked up at Jay. What was hers? Jay was with her sister.

"I think it's time for this virt to get back into the truck and get ready for the mines." Java said giving Ebony evil looks.

Ebony closed her eyes to fight back the tears that she was trying to hold in. She opened them and looked up at Jay before she climbed back into the truck with Mackenzie.


	9. Part 18 & 19

**Part 18**  
>Ebony sat with her head between her knees. She felt like she was going to be sick. She could hear the soft cries of Mackenzie. She had Honesty in her lap and rocked her from side to side trying to get her to sleep. Ebony lifted her head up when the flaps of the truck opened. It was one of the Techno's.<p>

"Here are blankets and food. We aren't going anywhere tonight." He said tossing many blankets and some food into the back.

Ebony handed them out. They each got two. Honesty and Lane got one and one to share. "Where's Paul?" Ebony asked.

"He went with Patsy." Mackenzie said with a weak smile. She knew that she was losing hope of getting home. "So at lest we know he's safe."

"I'm sorry that this happened." Ebony said moving to sit next to Mackenzie.

"It wasn't your fault." Mackenzie said.

"Yeah it was. We should have left with the rest of the tribe and we wouldn't be freezing here with 2 people outside this damn truck guarding us." Ebony said.

"Don't worry we'll get out some how." Mackenzie said laying back and resting her head, pulling Honesty and Lane closer to her.

Tai-san's eyes where filled with tears as they walked down the street. "We have to go back there. They have Ebony and her friends." Tai-san said.

"And do you want them to have all of us as well?" Bray asked. "You heard what Jay said they would take you if they found you."

"Bray they have a mallrat and two small kids. Mackenzie isn't strong enough to take care of those kids and Stephanie can't do it without Mackenzie." Tai-san said getting mad that she was the only one that wanted to go back and save them. Tai-san turned to Lex to see what he thought.

"Tai-san I…" Lex said but was cut off by her turning to running back towards the mall. "Now we have to go back and get them." Lex said.

"We can't." Amber said.

"That's my wife." Lex yelled then he took off running.

Amber sighed as she turned and started to walk with Lex. "I'm sorry but now we have to do something. If they get Tai-san then they would really have a mallrat." Amber said.

Everyone else followed them.

Jay walked around the empty room he had spent so much time in with Ebony. He could still smell her. He sat down on the bed and thought about what he was going to do. Maybe he could leave the Techno's or he could see if Ram would let Ebony join.

"What are you doing in here sexy?" Java asked coming into the room. "I missed you so much while you where gone." She said getting on the bed and sitting behind him with her arms and legs wrapped around him.

"Java you do know that this is Ebony's room." Jay said not wanting to mess around in the room of the women he loved.

"You mean it was her room." Java said kissing his neck. "Ebony and her virt friends are going to the mines in the morning. I already talked to Ram about it."

"You what?" Jay shouted as he stood up.

"Ebony and her friends are going to the mines and there is nothing that is going to change it. She's ruined my life before now it's my turn." Java said looking up at him.

"Java she is your sister how could you do something like that?" Jay asked before walking out of the room. He had to talk to Ebony before it was too late.

"Tai-san!" Lex yelled as he ran down the road. He spotted her watching something. "Tai-san what are you doing?" he asked coming up to her. She slapped her hand over his mouth.

"They're in that truck there." Tai-san said pointing to the truck all by itself.

"How do you know?" Lex asked.

"Because if you listen you can hear Ebony singing." Tai-san said in a sad voice.

"Okay so what are we going to do?" Bray asked coming up to them.

"We? I thought that you guys didn't want to have anything to do with this." Tai-san said with anger in her voice.

"Tai-san we're here aren't we?" Bray asked. "Look Amber, Salene, Trudy and everyone else is waiting for us."

"Then they can wait for a while because we can't do anything until the guards switch for break." Tai-san said turning to look back at the truck.

"How long do you think that will take?" Lex asked.

"I don't know. Not to long. It's cold and none of them seemed to be dressed for weather like this." Tai-san said still watching. "I think in about 5 minutes."

"Okay we can wait that long." Ryan said.

"It's not going to be easy. They have three adults and two kids. We have to get them all out without anyone seeing it happen." Tai-san said.

"Who's that?" Lex asked when a blond boy approached the truck and said two words and the guards left. He was wearing the same thing as the others.

"Jay." Tai-san said slowly. She had forgotten about him. He wouldn't let Ebony just leave and if he did she would be heart broken. "I'm going up there." Tai-san said standing all the way up.

"Tai-san you can't. What about the baby?" Lex asked.

"Lex we don't know if there is a baby yet." Tai-san said looking over at him with love in her eyes. "I have to do this." She said before leaving.

**Part 19**  
>Jay stood outside of the truck just thinking of what to say to Ebony. He knew he had to let her and her friend's leave but how was he going to explain Java and saying goodbye to her. He knocked twice on the side of the truck and then stood with his hands behind his back and his legs spread.<p>

Ebony poked her head out of the truck to see who had knocked. She could see a tall Techno with his back to the truck. She looked around and everyone else was gone. There were no guards anything. "Did you want something?" Ebony asked the guy in a snotty tone. She put her hand over her mouth when the person turned around. It was Jay but dressed as a Techno. He looked so different.

"You and your friends are leaving." Jay said still standing like her always does.

"What do you mean?" Ebony asked looking at him confused.

"You need to get away from the city now." Jay said trying to control himself. All he wanted to do was put his arms around her and take her inside to the warm mall.

Ebony just turned and got back into the truck. She had nothing more to say to him.

Amber stood wishing she was in Bray's arms. She couldn't help but worry about him, and the others right now. She had no idea of what was going on, or what was taking so long.

"I hope they hurry it's getting so cold out here." Cloe said with Jack's arms around her and a blanket wrapped around them.

"It's been a while." Ryan said pulling his coat tighter around him.

"Maybe we should and see what is taking so long." Amber said pulling around blanket over her and the baby.

"No. They should be back soon." Trudy said nodding her head. "All they have to do is bring Tai-san back."

"Why don't we go to the hotel and wait for them?" Patsy said. She was so cold that anywhere would be better than the street.

"That's a great idea." Jack said.

"We need to wait here for Bray and the others." Amber protested.

"Amber do you want to freeze to death?" Trudy asked her. "If you do then you can stay here. But I'm not going to." Trudy said as she walked towards the hotel with the rest of the tribe following her.

"Tai-san please don't do this." Lex said as they walked towards the truck.

"Lex I'm getting her out of there. Now get back before you're caught." Tai-san ordered. She made her way to the truck. The only problem was getting rid of Jay. He wouldn't let her take them. She watched as he turned his back to the truck and began to think out loud. It looked like this was going to be the only time to Ebony and her friends. Tai-san opened the flaps of the truck and put her figure to her lips. She nodded her head towards Bray and the others that where waiting for them. She held it open as Stephanie and Lane got out of the truck. Then Mackenzie and Honesty came out and last Ebony. They all crawled out of the side and quietly began to walk towards the others.

Ebony stopped and turned back to look at Jay, who was still talking to himself. She walked back over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Jay turned around quickly when he felt someone touch him. He smiled when he saw it was Ebony.

"I need to know if you would have ever told me." Ebony said referring to Java.

"Ebony I-" Jay said but didn't know what to tell her.

"You wouldn't have told me that you were with my sister." Ebony said taking her hand back.

"I didn't see the point in telling you. You would have hated me and I don't think I would be able to live with that. Ebony I never wanted to cause you any pain. I love you Ebony." Jay said stepping closer to her.

"Then leave this tribe." Ebony said looking up at him.

"Ebony I can't leave them. They are here to make a difference not to hurt anyone." Jay said.

"But you where going to let them hurt me?" Ebony asked.

"I never would have let anything happen to you. I would kill myself if I caused you any pain what so ever." Jay said taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips.  
>Ebony could move. She knew she should pull her hand away but she couldn't. "Leave them Jay and come with me. We could stay with Mackenzie." Ebony said as he put his arms around her.<p>

"Ebony you know I can't." Jay said pulling her up off the ground.

"You could if you truly loved me Jay. You could have also told me the truth about everything." Ebony said trying to pull away but her feet weren't touching the ground anymore. "Jay I have to leave."

"I truly am sorry about this all. You know I thought that my general would know better than to fall for a virt." Ram said as he appeared to the side of them.

"Lord Ram." Jay said as he put Ebony back on the ground and behind him.

"My Lord you need to get rid of this girl now." Java said coming up to him. "She can destroy you and everything you've worked for. She is nothing but poison."

"And why would you say that my love?" Ram asked.

"She's my sister." Java said looking at her.

"Oh well that changes everything." Ram said with an evil smile on his face.

"Do you think you scare me?" Ebony asked coming from behind Jay, smirking at the boy in the wheel chair. She looked at him for a long time, trying to see what was so scary about him, what made others follow him. He didn't look scary, he was in a wheelchair, you could push him over, and run if you needed too.

"What is that my dear?" Ram asked looking amused.

"You don't scare me. So you come in here with a bunch of sheep and think you can take over the city. Well you're a little late. Zoot has already done that." Ebony said. Zoot was the only person that scared her. She wasn't going to let some punk in a wheelchair push her around.

"Who is this Zoot you speak of?" Ram asked.

"The creator of Power and Chaos. The man I loved. The man that ruled this city." Ebony said knowing her words hurt Jay. But she didn't care. She needed to save the city from the whackos.

Ram began to laugh. "I like this one Jay. I can see why you were attracted to her."

"I'm glad you find it amusing." Ebony said turning to walk away but she fell to the ground when Java shot her with the laser gun.

"Ebony!" Tai-san screamed trying to run to her but Lex was holding her back.

Jay ran to her instead. He didn't even stop when Ram was yelling at him. He picked up her limp body and carried it into the mall.


	10. Part 20 & 21

**Part 20**  
>Tai-san wanted to run to her but it was to late. Her scream had given them away. The guards came and took her, Lex and Bray. She didn't know what to do know. How would they get it back to their tribe that they weren't coming back?<p>

"Did you really think you could get away from me?" Ram asked them.

"Do you really think you can get away with all this?" Bray asked. "I'm the brother of Zoot, I've seen so much worst than you."

"Bray do you want to end up like Ebony?" Tai-san asked.

"So we do have a smart one in the group." Ram said looking at Tai-san.

"Ram if they are friends of Ebony's, I believe we should destroy them before they destroy us and trust me my lord Ebony will bring you down." Java said standing next to Ram.

"Java please stop. You're making me like her even more." Ram said looking up at her and smiled. "I will decide what to do with you three in the morning." Ram said turning in leaving.

"Where do you want us to put them?" one of the Techno's asked.

"Where ever. Just keep an eye on them." Ram said as he left.

Cloe walked into one of the rooms in the hotel. She put her and Jack's things down on the floor and looked around the room. It wasn't any bigger then the one she had back at the mall. She sat down on the bed and laid back to think about what she had done. If she had stayed with Ved and told him it was his baby, would they still be in the mall? Would Jack still be in that little room watching everyone? Cloe didn't know what to think. She sat up when she heard Jack come into the room.

"Cloe you okay?" Jack asked looking over at her.

"Now it really is my fault." Cloe said slumping her shoulders.

"Cloe you've got to stop blaming yourself. You did what was right." Jack said going over and sitting next to her. He pulled her over to sit in between his legs. He started to kiss the back of her neck when Patsy walked into the room.

"God lets keep it pg!" Patsy said walking into the room.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Jack said annoyed.

"Yeah. Amber wanted me to get you. She wants the guys to go see what's taking so long for everyone else to get back." Patsy said.

"You know what it's late I think I'll give up on her offer." Jack said putting his arms around Cloe's waist.

"I don't think it was an offer." Patsy said.

"You can leave now Patsy. Jack is not going to anywhere. Not until we get away from this city. You can tell Amber I won't allow him to leave." Cloe said getting fed up. If Amber wanted Bray so bad she could go find him herself.

"Whatever." Patsy said rolling her eyes and leaving.

"Where were we?" Jack asked going back to Cloe's neck as his hands worked on getting her shirt off.

Jay laid Ebony's limp body on her bed. He didn't understand how Java could shot her own sister. His love, the women he would die for. He slowly undid her shirt to look at the burn on her back from the gun. When he took her shirt off he was pleased to see how much more of her excited him. He rolled her body over carefully and saw the burn. It wasn't very big but it was there. He kissed it softly and then rolled her back over. She was starting to come too. He smiled down at her when she opened her eyes.

"What happened?" Ebony asked looking up at him. It took her a minute to remember what had happened to her. She began to sit up when she noticed she was topless. "Where's my shirt?"

"Right here." Jay said handing it to her. "Ebony I'm sorry. I didn't think she would shoot you."

"Yeah well things never change." Ebony said rubbing her head.

"I'm sorry about everything." Jay said moving up to the bed.

"Jay can we not talk about it right now. I'm too tired." Ebony said sinking back into bed.

"Yeah." Jay said pulling the cover up over her. But he watched as she moved to rest her head against his chest.

"This is how I want to sleep." Ebony said putting her head on Jay's chest.

"You can sleep like this anytime you want." Jay said pulling her closer to him as he laid back a little more.

"Take that dumb uniform off Jay. It isn't the real you." Ebony said letting him get out of bed. She watched as he stood up and unzipped his uniform. He slid it off his body to reveal his boxers. "Now come back here." Ebony said with a small smile.

Jay was glad that this was pleasing Ebony. That's all he wanted to do, make her happy. Jay slid back into bed and felt Ebony's legs slip in between his. She placed her head on his bear chest. Jay put his arms around her topless body and held her tight. This is all he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Keep her warm and happy.

**Part 21**?  
>Amber couldn't believe that Jack would not go see what was taking so long with the others! How could he do this to her? She stormed out of her room at Patsy had told her and made her way towards the room Jack and Cloe where in. She opened the door and stood frozen at what was in front of her. A shirtless Cloe, who was being kissed by Jack who was only in his boxers. But she didn't say sorry and back out of the room. She just waited for them to say something.<p>

"Amber you mind?" Cloe asked pulling one of the blankets up over her.

"Yeah I do mind!" Amber snapped. "Jack I need to talk to you."

"God." Jack muttered. He got off the bed and put a sheet around his waist and looked down at Cloe.

Cloe just stared up at him not wanting him to leave but wanting him to get rid of Amber. "Go." Cloe said with a big sigh.

"It will only take a minute." Jack said bending down and giving her a quick kiss before following Amber outside of the room.

"So you're getting ready to get laid while Bray and the others could be dead!" Amber said when the got to the hallway.

"Damn it Amber what do you want me to do? She is in there blaming herself for what's happening. Why can't you just grow up and face the fact that not everyone is going to come running when you snap your figures?" Jack asked looking at her.

"I'm sorry that I care about the rest of the tribe. You know that three of your friends could be dead right now! Not to mention that fact that Jay is still back there." Amber said.

"Eight Amber. Eight of your friends are back there." Jack said shaking his head. "Ebony is one of us even if you don't want to see it. So are her friends. And I'm sure Jay is just happy now that all his friends are here. He also LOVES Ebony so nothing should happen to her or your friends." Jack said making sure he got the love part thorough Amber's head.

Amber didn't know what to think when she heard jack say that Jay loved Ebony. She knew she loved Bray and would always be with him but there was still something there with Jay. She closed her eyes tight and tried not to think about them. "This is not about Ebony!"

"Amber stop acting like a baby. If you want to see them then go find them yourself." Jack said turning to go back to his room.

"What'd she want?" Cloe asked when Jack came back into the room.

"Nothing important." Jack said getting back into bed with Cloe.

"God you're so cold." Cloe said when she felt him touch her.

"Sorry. There isn't any heat in this building." Jack said putting a blanket in between them.

"Just more the reason for me to keep you warm." Cloe said smiling and putting the blanket over them instead.

Ebony woke up to a knock on the door. She could feel the pain shot thought her back she got up. Whatever she was shot with really hurt. Her head was pounding as she walked across the room. She opened the door only to find a grinning face.

"I thought this is where the virt would be." The boy in the wheel chair said. Pushing his way into the room.

Ebony looked startled at the boy as she put on one of Jay's old shirts. She didn't know what to do. She sat down on the bed as Jay woke up.

It took Jay a minute to realize that it wasn't just a dream that it all did happen. He quickly put his arm around Ebony's waist to make sure that everyone saw he was claiming what was his. He could feel her shaking when he touched her. "Lord Ram is there something you needed?" Jay asked in his normal tone as he covered Ebony with a blanket.

"Well Jay we do have a few problems with the other virts that we caught with this one earlier. It seems the tall one won't shut up and wants to see an Ebony." Ram said looking at the two people on the bed in front of him.

"Her name is Tai-san." Jay said but he stopped when Ram began to talk aging.

"I don't care what her name is just get her to shut up!" Ram snapped. "Oh and your sister wants to talk to you." Ram said before leaving.

"Ebony I'm sorry," Jay said getting up and putting on his uniform. "This will only take a minute."

"Jay you and I both know that Tai-san won't shut up until she gets what she wants." Ebony said looking up at him.

Jay sighed as he zipped the top of his uniform. "I'll be back." He said before leaving.

As soon as Jay walked out of the room Java walked in.

"So what is it that you want Ebony?" Java asked.

"What are you talking about Java? You're the one that came here! I've lived her since my life was taken from me." Ebony said standing up to look at her sister.

"Do you think I care?" Java snapped. "You're leaving in the morning and I will get my life back."

"You know that if you get rid of me he will come look for me." Ebony said stepping closer to her sister.

"That's what you think. You do know that he was going to turn on you and you still would have ended up here, then the mines." Java said walking around the room.

"So you think that you can get rid of me just to get him to like you again?" Ebony asked following her sister.

"I do know that he would have no one else to turn to. He would never leave the Techno's. We've been giving him what he wants and more." Java said smiling up at her sister.

"You think you know it all Java. God I may be younger but sometimes I wonder if mom drop you on your head a few times." Ebony said walking over to the door. "I'm tired and I want to sleep in my room. The room I've been sleeping in with Jay for the last few months."

"Yeah and soon it will be our room." Java said walking out.

Ebony couldn't believe her sister. She was going to send her away to get Jay back. What if she was right? What if Jay didn't leave to find her or help her in any way? What would she do then? Ebony laid back down with all these questions running through her head. Soon enough she was asleep dreaming about them.

"Where is she my lord?" Jay asked. He couldn't hear anything.

"She must be getting tired." Ram said looking up at Jay. "Anyways I want to talk to you about this virt girl."

"Her name is Ebony." Jay said looking back down at him.

"Whatever she is I like her. She has something her sisters don't, a certain spunk. I like it." Ram said placing his hands under his chin.

"What do you mean Ram?" Jay asked getting a little scared.

"Well I don't think I'm going to send her off to the mines yet." Ram said smiling. He knew that Jay was with Ebony but he also knew that he could take her with just a snap of his fingers.

Jay just looked at Ram. There was no way he could stop him from getting what he wants. But he had to do something. Ebony was his no one else's! "If that's all Lord Ram I think I will go back to bed now."

"Yeah, okay. But talk to that virt that won't shut up on your way." Ram said shooing him out of the room.

Jay sighed as he walked out of the room. He made his way towards the café. He half expected to see Amber sitting there waiting for him. But no one was there. It was weird to be in mall that once was alive with Mallratz but now it was dead. As he walked on he could hear Mackenzie screaming. He turned the corner to see three guards trying to get her to shut up. "I'll take over with this one." Jay said making his present noticed.

"General Jay." one of the guards said letting go of Mackenzie. As soon as the other guards saw him they let go of her too and she feel to the ground with a thud.

"Let me have a talk with this one." Jay said looking at the men.

"Yes sir." They said walking out of the room.

"Well general I'm not going to be as good as your guards." Mackenzie said getting up off the ground.

"I screwed up big time." Jay said looking up at her with tears in his eyes.

"What the hell did you do to Ebony?" Mackenzie asked getting worried.

"Nothing she's fine." Jay said sitting on the hard floor. "She's back in her room."

"Then what's going on?" Mackenzie asked.

"Ram likes her. He's already married to both of her sisters now he wants her, he likes to finish off collections." Jay said resting his head on his hands.

"Then get us out Jay. If you want to be with Ebony leave the Techno's and take us with you." Mackenzie said looking at him with pleading eyes.

"I can't. They're here to help people and that's what I want to do." Jay said.

"But you wouldn't mind losing Ebony in the processes!" Mackenzie yelled getting up. "Damn it Jay you don't even see what you have. Jay go back to her room and be with her before you lose her." Mackenzie demeaned.

"Will you stop screaming?" Jay asked.

"Fine!" Mackenzie said. "But Jay how are the kids?" Mackenzie asked. When they got taken again they where all separated.

"I'll have to guards being them in here." Jay said getting up. He smiled at Mackenzie before he left the room. On his way out he told the guards to bring the two kids and the other girl to Mackenzie and she would stop screaming. They did as they where told.


	11. Part 22 & 23

**Part 22**  
>Bray sat on the cold ground of the basement of the Mall. He never thought that he would be a prisoner in his home again. He looked up and saw Tai-san and Lex sitting together. Tai-san had been crying every since Ebony was shot by someone that looked liked her. Is all Bray wanted to do was wrap his arms around Amber and be with his sons. It would feel so nice to have his arms around her again. But there was still something inside of him that said he wanted something or someone else. He could remember that fear he had when Ebony hit the ground. Then the anger he had when Jay had picked her up. But Bray didn't want Ebony or did he?<p>

Tai-san sat in between Lex's legs holding on to his hands. She knew that something was wrong. Things just didn't feel right. She rested her head on Lex's chest. She could hear his heart beat. "Something's wrong Lex." Tai-san said.

"What do you mean babe?" Lex asked kissing the top of her head.

"Something doesn't feel right. Something with us isn't right." Tai-san said sadly.

"Everything with us is right Tai-san. Nothing will ever come between us again." Lex said making sure that his words where reassuring.

"Maybe you're right." Tai-san said still unsure. She looked up when light came into the little room. There was a girl standing in the doorway. She looked like the one that shot Ebony.

"Well isn't this just sweet." The girl said looking at Tai-san and Lex.

Lex just looked up at her. There was something about this girl that sent excitement through him. But then he remembered what he had just told Tai-san.

"So do none of you speak?" she asked.

"We speak. Just not to people who keep us prisoner in our home." Tai-san said glaring up at her.

"Oh well then in that case I'll take the food and blankets I'm suppose to bring you." The girl said smiling.

"Don't mind my wife. She isn't ever happy to know that her friend is hurt because of you." Lex said looking up at the girl.

Was this it? Was this why something wrong? Could Lex love someone else and let her brake up the marriage?

"Well in that case I'm Siva." The girl said.

"I'm Lex. This is Tai-san and Bray." Lex said getting up.

Tai-san just sat on the floor trying not to cry. This couldn't be what she was worried about. There was still something there that was wrong. But this Siva girl didn't help much to her worries.

"Here is some food and blankets. My sister wanted you to have them. I don't know what power she has over Ram but she hasn't changed since we where kids." Siva said handing the things to Lex. He was cute.

"Your sister?" Lex asked taking the things.

"Ebony. I do believe you know her." Siva said.

"Yeah. But you seem nothing like her." Lex said smiling at her. He couldn't help but flirt with her. He knew that Tai-san was sitting there listening to the whole thing but he couldn't bring himself to stop.

"Thank you I think." Siva said turning to leave.

Lex tossed a blanket and food over o Bray and then sat back down next to Tai-san. He looked over at Tia-san and handed her some food and a blanket. "You need to eat." Lex said putting the blanket over her legs.

"It's good I know that you remember I'm here." Tai-san said taking the food and the blanket and moving away from Lex.

"Tai-san come on." Lex said pleading.

"Not until you realize that you have a wife." Tai-san said sitting down next to Bray.

"Tai-san you should just talk to him. Maybe he has a good reason for hitting on another girl in front of you." Bray said.

"Maybe he does and maybe I don't want to hear it right now." Tai-san said laying down on the ground. She pulled the blanket up as far as it would go before her didn't cover her feet. Soon enough she was in a peaceful asleep.

Jay walked along the empty hallways of the mall. He stopped when he heard something behind. He turned around and saw Ram. "Is there something you need Lord?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. I forgot to ask you. Is something going on with you and Ebony?" Ram asked smiling at him.

Jay knew if he said yes Ram would have him deleted. But if he lied he would feel guilty. "What do you mean?"

"Are you sleeping with her? Are you dating her? You seem close to her and I want to know how close." Ram said sternly.

"Yes lord Ram we are close." Jay said trying to avoid what he wanted to hear.

"Are you with her Jay?" Ram asked.

Jay didn't know what to say. He knew what would happen and he knew better than to upset Ram. He wanted Ebony and was going to get her even if he was standing in the way. "No my lord." Jay said softly. He could feel a sharp pain when he said that.

"Good you may go now." Ram said leaving with a smile. He had gotten Jay to say what he wanted him to say. Now came the problem of getting Ebony.

Jay walked back into the room to see Ebony tossing and turning in bed. Jay walked closer to her and saw the tears streaming down her face. "Ebony wake up." Jay said grabbing her by the arms.

Ebony opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Jay above her.

"You okay?" Jay asked sitting down on the bed with his hands still on Ebony's arms. He didn't want to let go of her because he was afraid that it would be for good.

"Jay what's going on?" Ebony asked. She could see past the look that was on his face. He was worried about something.

"Ram likes." Jay said slowly.

"You told him now, right?" Ebony asked looking up at him. Ebony could feel more tears run down her face when Jay didn't say anything. "How could you not tell him Jay?"

"Ebony you need to get out of here now." Jay said letting go of her.

"No really?" Ebony asked. "Java was right. You don't care for me. You're just like Zoot only he did love me." Ebony said getting up. She head for the door.

"Where are you going Ebony?" Jay asked getting up and following her.

"What does it look like Jay. I'm going to walk right out the front door and never look back." Ebony said peeking her head out the door and watching the cameras. She made her way down the hallway without being seen. She was keeping her fingers crossed that they didn't know about the broom closet.

Jay just walked down the hallway like it was nothing big. "Ebony don't leave like this." Jay said following her into an empty room.

"Jay will you leave the Techno's and come with me?" Ebony asked looking up at him.

"Ebony I can…" Jay said but was cut off by Ebony.

"That's what Java told me. She said that you would never leave the Techno's. That they give you what you wanted and more. But if you're with the Techno's you can't have everything. You can't have me." Ebony whispered with anger in her voice. "Go back to the room you'll share with my sister and forget about me." Ebony said before moving back down the hall way again. She knew that it wasn't over when she heard Jay come after her. She stopped in another empty room.

"I'll never share a room with your sister." Jay said grabbing her arm and making sure she was looking at him. "Damn it, Ebony don't you get it."

"I guess I don't Jay. You're the one that won't come with me because you love your dumb tribe to much." Ebony snapped trying to pull her arm away but Jay just tightened his grip. Ebony let a flash of pain go across her face. "Jay let go you're hurting me." Ebony said.

Jay slightly let go of her arm. "That's the thing Ebony I don't want to hurt you. But it's kinda hard when you're being so headstrong." Jay whispered.

"Jay you don't want me with Ram but you don't want to be with me. Why in the hell do you even care?" Ebony asked.

"Because I love you Ebony." Jay snapped.

Ebony slowly let her anger disappear when she heard him say that. That was the first time that he had said that to her and she believed that he meant it. She let a small smile come across her face. But then she remembered that if he did love her then he would come with her. "Then come with me Jay."

"Ebony I want to but I can't." Jay said looking down at her. "I have to be here for Ved."

"Ved's a big boy Jay, he can take care of himself. Or maybe you don't remember but all of this is his doing." Ebony whispered back at him.

"Ebony I don't want you to leave because I don't want to lose you." Jay said.

"But if I stay you will lose me. So no matter what I do you're going to lose me. Anyways if I did stay I might as well just want to marry that Ram guy. Maybe he'd love me more than you." Ebony whispered.

"Ebony please don't make me do this." Jay said.

"You can't stop me from leaving Jay." Ebony said pulling her arm away but there was no success. She found herself over Jay's shoulder walked down the hallway. She began to kick and yell.

"I told you I didn't want to do this Ebony." Jay said putting her down in front of a door. "I want to stay with you in your room."

"Jay what are you doing? You the one that told me I had to get away." Ebony said looking up at him.

Jay opened the door and pushed Ebony inside. He then closed the door and locked it.

"And he said he loved me." Ebony said slowly falling to the ground.

"I'm sure he does." Someone else said.

Mackenzie slowly made her way down the hallway. She smiled when they reached the unguarded door and slipped outside. They were for once free.

"Mackenzie this isn't going to work." Stephanie protested.

"If you shut up it will." Mackenzie said as they slowly made there way away from the mall. "Now was that so hard?" Mackenzie asked putting Lane down.

"No I guess not. Now let's get home before they do get us again." Stephanie whispered.

**Part 23**  
>"I know your king loves you. He's watching you." The person said.<p>

Ebony could feel the chills go down her body when she heard that voice. She could feel the fear rise in her. She stood up and backed up against the wall. "Why are you here?"

"Same reason you are." The person said standing up and walking towards her. "But I never thought I would see the queen of the locos locked up, well at lest like this."

"I'm no ones queen anymore and you know that." Ebony said with more fear in her.

"Ebony you know power and chaos lives in you. It runs through you vanes. I know it is still in me." The person said with an evil smile as they came closer.

Ebony turned to the door and started to pound on it. "JAY! JAY!" Ebony yelled as tears filled her eyes. She kept pounding on the door until she felt the hand on her back. The person turned her around and put his hand around her throat.

"I should have finished you off the first time!" the person said in a low voice as it began to squeeze her neck. But it stopped when the door opened and a tall figure stood in the door.

Ebony started to cough when he let go if her neck. Tears where still running down her cheeks when she felt around hand on her shoulder. She tried to pull away put she turned to see Jay. She walked right to him and let him put his arms around her.

"Guards I'll let you deal with him. If it isn't good enough then have him deleted." Jay said picking Ebony up like a baby.

"Don't kill him." Ebony said holding her throat. "He knows something I need to know." Ebony said weakly.

"Zap him and chain him to the wall until she talks to him, then I want him gone." Jay said before leaving. He walked back to Ebony's room and placed her on the bed. "Ebony I'm sorry I didn't know anyone was in there."

"He would have killed me this time." Ebony taking the glass by the side of her bed.

"What do you mean this time?" Jay asked sitting next to her.

"I know him. It all happened along time ago." Ebony said after she took a drink of water.

"I'm so sorry." Jay said hugging her. "I almost lost you by trying to keep you. But why would you want to talk to him again? What could he know that you need to know?"

"Just something that I need to know about my past." Ebony said taking her top off and getting into bed. "The sun is going to be up soon." Ebony said wiping the tears from her face.

"Yeah I guess we should get some sleep." Jay said getting up. "I'll have a guard outside your room." Jay said.

"Jay, stay. This might be the last time I ever get to fall asleep in your arms." Ebony said looking up at him still scared.

"Don't say that Ebony." Jay whispered as he got into the bed. "I won't lose you yet. I can't do it."

But Ebony didn't hear him because she was already asleep.

Ram woke up early the next morning. He had a lot to do today. He had Java help him into his chair and headed to the control room when he saw Ved.

"Lord Ram, we've had problems." Ved said looking down at him.

"Okay what are they?" Ram asked.

"Four of the prisoners got out last night and Ebony was attacked by another prisoner." Ved said.

"What the hell was Ebony doing in a room that had other people in it?" Ram asked with anger.

"Jay put her in there but then got her out, lord." Ved said.

"Well then have to prisoner deleted." Ram said like it was nothing.

"Jay was going to last night but Ebony wanted to talk to him before that happens." Ved said filling him in.

"Okay well then what needs to be done will be done. Now what about the four that got away?" Ram asked. "Do we need them?"

"We do need to girl Mackenzie. She is strong, fast on her feet and very smart." Ved said thinking back to the last time he saw her on the beach.

"Okay well then get them back!" Ram shouted. "Do whatever you have to do and get her back."

"Lord she has kids with her. She would do anything for their safety." Ved stated.

"Then take the kids and she will come." Ram said.

"Yes Lord Ram." Ved said before leaving.

Ram smiled as he thought about Ebony. She was so brave unlike her sisters. But she didn't seem to have as many brain cells as they did. Although from what he saw last night she had many more than most people in his tribe. How she stuck up to him before she found out what he was going to do with her. Then how she walked away holding back anger. Then when her own sister shot her and she fell so gracefully to the ground. She was perfect in every way. Ram headed down the hallway to the room that Ebony was in. The door was shut. He reached up and turned the doorknob.

Ebony laid almost naked on top of Jay. Her face was towards the wall and her legs where in between Jays. Her legs where covered by a sheet and her light blue shorts where up to high that you could see her underwear. Her bear back was kept warm from Jay's loving arms around her.

Jay smiled when he looked down at what he had. She was the most perfect thing on earth. He kissed the top of her head and looked back up at the ceiling. He knew that he should have been up hours ago working to get the city ready but he wanted to make sure that Ebony woke up in his arms and no one else. He knew that this might be the last time they would get to wake up to find each other in bed together, so he wanted her to get her last chance as well. He looked over at the door when he heard something move outside of it. He closed his eyes in hope that whoever it was would let him stay there longer.

Ram pushed the door open only to see what looked like Jay and Java in bed still sleeping. Sure he knew that she was cheating on him but there was nothing he wanted to do about it. He smiled as he closed to door and headed back down the hallway to find his new love Ebony.

"I hate her. I hate her. I hate her." Java said looking down at her sister.

"Java calm down. Ebony didn't do anything wrong, Jay did." Siva said.

"Ebony always has to take what's mine. She can't just stay out of the way can she?" Java asked with anger. "I hope Ram gets rid of her soon. Because if he doesn't she will bring him down along with us."

"Maybe she's changed." Siva said trying to think on the positive side of things.

"Oh stop it Siva. This is Ebony we're talking about. She can't change. She doesn't know the meaning of the word." Java said. "If we aren't careful she'll take over just like she did with Zoot."

"That is true but what if she doesn't want that. I mean she did try to walk away last night but you just had to shoot her. Think about it Java she could be gone right now and you could be with Jay telling him about how bad she is. Only if you hadn't shot her." Siva said shaking her head.

"So you really think Ram would have let her get away?" Java asked.

"Yes I do! Ram knew that she wouldn't leave the city and that most of the people would be taken the next day so there would be no point in keeping her because she would come back." Siva said getting up out of the chair. "But now we have to put up with her because of you."

"AAAHHH!" Java shouted as she stormed off. She hated it when she knew that her little sister was right.

Danni woke up to the screaming of Johnny. She slowly got out of bed and walked across the room. She looked down at her baby boy. She smiled when she picked him up. "What's wrong big boy?"

"Daddy." The little boy cried.

Danni held him as she rocked him back and forth. "Daddy isn't here right now sweetie." She said. She knew that Bray was in trouble but she had to think of Johnny now. If something happened to her Johnny would have no one left.

"You want me to take him?" Pride asked standing in the door away.

"That would be great." Danni said handing her baby to her brother. "I just hope that Bray comes back soon. I'm really worried."

"He'll be back. And if not then we'll go look for him. I'm sure that Amber is worrying just as much as you are." Pride said.

"Yeah, yeah Amber. It would be nice if you would stop reminding me of her." Danni said sitting down on the bed.

"Danni get over. I thought you had a thing for that Sasha guy?" Pride said.

"I did but I haven't seen him for almost four months." Danni said letting her mind wonder back to all the time they would spend talking.

"Anyways. I came to tell you to get ready. We're going to the farm today." Pride said. "I'll go feed my favorite nephew while you pack back up."

"He's your only nephew." Danni shouted as he left the room. She rolled her eyed and got up and started to back everything back up. It didn't take her too long because she didn't get much up the night before. When she was done she grabbed the four bags and downed down to the entrance of the hotel. She saw that almost everyone else was packed and sitting out there. "Well don't we all look happy today."

"Danni have you seen your brother?" May asked.

"Yeah he's feeding Johnny before we leave." Danni said smiling at the girl in front of her. May had always been her favorite girl that Pride had dated.

"Okay thanks." May said taking off as fast as she came.

"Where's Amber?" Danni asked KC.

"Still pouting in her room because Bray didn't come back last night." Patsy said putting her coat on.

"You mean he isn't back yet?" Danni asked. "What about Tai-san and Lex?"

"Nope. No one has seen them." KC said.

Now Danni was even more worried. Sure she wasn't to fan of Lex or Ebony but they all should have been back by now. What could have happened to them?


	12. Part 24 & 25

**Part 24**  
>Ebony wanted to sleep longer but she couldn't find it in her to keep her eyes closed any longer. When she did open her eyes she realized that she was in bed with Jay. She looked up at him and saw his eyes open.<p>

"Hey sleepy head." Jay said smiling.

"What time is it?" Ebony asked rubbing her eyes.

"I don't know." Jay said sitting up and bring Ebony with him. "I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm glad you didn't." Ebony said putting both arms around him.

After a while Jay spoke up. "Ebony I'm really sorry about what happened last night. I never wanted to hurt you or let anyone hurt you."

"I need to talk to him." Ebony said sitting up and reaching for her shirt. But she stopped and looked back at Jay. "Do you mean it?" she asked.

"Ebony…I…I love you. I love you more than I've loved anyone in this whole world. I think I love you more than anyone has every loved anyone else." Jay said taking both her hands and kissing them gently.

"That's cute," Ebony said. "But I find it hard to believe you when we are both still here." She watched his gaze drop before getting up. "As long as I'm stuck here, I might as well make it worth my wild. I need to speak with the guy from last night."

"You can't go out there without me" Jay stated standing up. He wanted her to understand. He needed her to understand that he couldn't leave.

"Then get dressed." Ebony said.

Jay said nothing. He put his uniform on and looked at Ebony coldly.

Ebony just stared up at him. She wasn't going to break for him. He had messed up. He had lied, and kept her here. He was basically going to just hand her over to his leader. She wasn't going to let the fact that he loved her, or so he said, get in the way. She was going to get herself out of this mess.

Jay walked behind Ebony as they walked down the hallway to the room Spike what in. "Okay the guard will be in there with you this time. I'll be back in ten minutes." Jay said when they go the room. "If anything goes wrong call me." He said to the guards. He turned back to Ebony. "Be careful." Jay whispered to her.

"You've lost your right to worry about me." Ebony whispered back. She didn't even bother to look at him before turning to face the door. If faced with this last night, Ebony could have broken. She wasn't ready, or prepared. But now, now she could channel the power and chaos side she needed to get through this.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!  
>"Okay I think everyone is here." Amber said looking at all the faces. "You guys we are missing some of your dear friends right now. But they will come back to us. They know where we are going and how to find us. So all we can do until they do find us to pray for their safety and leave the city."<p>

"Are you sure we should leave before they find us?" Cloe asked.

"Cloe this is the only way unless you want more of your friends to be taken away from us." Salene said. "It will take two hours to get to the farm. I think we should leave now and hope these Techno's don't find us."

"Salene is right so let's go." Amber said picking up two bags and pushing the stroller in front of her.

Nothing else was said within the tribe. They all missed Bray, Lex, Tai-san and even Ebony. But they all knew that they had to get away before they where taken as well.

Jay walked into the café. He stopped when he saw his brother. The one that caused him so much pain and lose. Because of Ved the mall rats lost their home and friends. Because of Ved Jay may never be able to hold Ebony again. He walked over to him and stood behind him waiting to be noticed.

Ved turned around quickly and felt sick. It was Jay. He looked more hurt than ever before. "Jay."

"How could you?" Jay asked.

"I had to do it Jay. I'm sorry but I had to." Ved said looking down.

"You had to tell Ram so he would come and run the mallrats out of their home. Tell him so the mallrats would lose some of their friends, husbands and dads. So I would never be able to make a life with Ebony. I don't know if you know this or not but I may never be able to touch her again because of you Ved." Jay said with a low voice. He didn't want anyone to know what was going on.

"Jay I didn't know Ram would come in here and take Ebony from you. That was not my fault." Ved said.

"I will blame anything that happens for rest of my life on you because of this Ved. How could you not think about what you where doing before you did it? You need to think all your plans all the way through before you do them Ved. Especially when its peoples lives you're messing with. Not only have you ruined what I have with Ebony but also Bray and Amber or Cloe? If they find Jack what do you think will happen to him?"

"None of that is my problem Jay. Maybe if you hadn't gotten so involved with the virts it would be easier for you to except what's going to happen to them all." Ved said turning to walk away.

Jay couldn't help but think that Ved was right. If he hadn't meet Ebony this wouldn't be so hard. If he hadn't fall in love with her none of this would be happening.

Ebony took a deep breath and walked into the room he was in. When the light turned on she could see him chained to the wall and the same maker, she had from Java shooting her as, on his neck. She gently touched his neck but pulled away when his eyes opened.

"If it isn't Ebony. How are you my queen?" he asked smiling. "Why have you come to see me after last night?"

"Because you're dead." Ebony said looking at him.

"I'm just as dead as you are." He said with a smile. "So why are you really here?"

"You said something to me last night." Ebony said looking him right in the eye. "Where is he Spike?"

Spike's smile grew. "My queen you should know."

"Spike he is dead, or at lest that's what I've been told. But from what you said to me last night I know you're hiding something." Ebony said letting herself feel the power she use to have when Zoot was alive.

Spike didn't say anything just smiled.

"Spike you tell me where he is or I'll have you killed. And if you think I don't have it in me you better rethink that." Ebony said stepping closer to him. She looked right into Spikes eyes. "He's in the city isn't he?"

"I can't hide your king from you. I know where to find him my queen. You just have to find yourself." Spike said letting his smile fade. "He wants you back and you know he always get what he wants."

"Spike you and I both know that I stopped being his queen along time ago. You know that wasn't the real me." Ebony said looking at him.

"He will find you. And he will have you. He has you now and you don't even know it." Spike said with a little laugh. "Power and Chaos will live forever."

Ebony turned around and looked at the guards. "Do as you please with him." She said before walking down the hallway.

**Part 25**  
>Jack stumbled as he walked along the countryside. He was dreading going back to the farm. He wasn't ready to see Ellie. He looked over at Cloe. She looked so cute with the dirt mark on her face. He took his figure and wiped it off.<p>

Cloe looked over at Jack when he touched her. She couldn't help but worry about what was going to happen at the farm. She knew that Ellie would try and get Jack and that Jack would want someone that was thin and pretty and that wasn't going to be her in a month or two. Cloe looked up in front of her and saw the farm. She was so glad that their two-hour walk was almost over. She didn't know how she use to be able to walk this farm when she was younger. She looked over at Jack and saw the smile on his face. She stopped walking and just watched her friends happily walk towards the building that they would soon call home.

Amber smiled as she walked up to the door. She could hear laugher inside the home. She knocked twice and stepped back. She smiled when she saw a little girl with red hair open the door.

"Who are you?" she asked looking up at her.

"Tally is Alice here?" Amber asked knowing the little girl wouldn't remember her.

"Yeah. Alice someone is here for you." She shouted walking back into the house.

Soon enough Amber could see Alice's green dress as she walked towards the door. Amber smiled as her old friend embraced her in a hug.

"Well what the hell are you all doing here? Did Ebony finally take over the city and kick you all out?" Alice asked with a smile.

"Well she did sleep with the enemy." Trudy said.

"Well come on in. It's freezing out here." Alice said moving out of the doorway to let her friends into the small house. She looked out over the field before shutting the door and saw Cloe standing by herself just looking at the farm. She grabbed her coat. "Tally, Andy, go get Ellie and tell her we have company. I'll be back in a minute." Alice said to the little kids before her. She walked along the old dirt trail until she reached Cloe. "Hey short stuff what are you doing out here?"

Cloe just looked over at her and smiled. "Hi Alice." She said softly.

"So what are you doing out here?" Alice asked hugging her.

"Alice do you use that cabin over there?" Cloe asking pointing to the really little house that was on the other side of the farm.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she took a bag from Cloe and walked towards the cabin with her at her side.

"I just need sometime alone." Cloe said. She wasn't sure how Alice would take the news. Ellie is her little sister and all. Cloe just wasn't ready for someone else to hate her anymore than Ved did.

"Okay." Alice said. She didn't want to push Cloe into telling her anything. Anyways there weren't enough rooms in the house for everyone so this would work out fine. She walked into the cold little house. She put Cloe's bags down and lit a few candles around the small room. "There are more candles over there." Alice said pointing to a small table. "You can light the fire for warmth and light. I'll have Andy bring out more wood in the morning."

"Thank you Alice." Cloe said hugging her before she left. Cloe closed the door and turned to look at what would now be her and her baby's new home. She quite sure how long it would take for some one to notice that she was gone. But she was already feeling the pain because Jack hadn't come to look for her. She knew that she didn't want him to but a part of her felt like he should have. Cloe sighed as she lit a match and tossed it into the fireplace. She could feel the warmth from the fire right away. The room was so small that it wouldn't take long to get it warm. She lit a few more candles and spread them out. She sat down on the couch and let her mind wonder about things. She started to think about Jack and Ellie. What if they had been together in this very room? Cloe could feel the tears roll down her cheek as she thought about. But soon enough that thought was pushed from her mind when the door opened.

Ebony sat on her bed looking over at Jay. She wasn't ready for him to know the whole truth about her past but he had to know about Zoot.

"Did you find out what you needed to?" Jay asked.

Ebony didn't say anything. She just sat looking at the black leather corset she use to wear. The outfit that was Queen of the Loco's.

"Ebony, what did he tell you?" Jay asked. Part of him was starting to get concerned, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to see that.

"Zoot." Ebony said looking down at her hands.

"Zoot? The dead guy?" Jay said. "What about him?"

"I was his queen." Ebony said looking off into space. She wasn't sure how to tell him about her past. But she knew that the time had come. Before she could think about it anymore everything was spilling out of her mouth. The way Zoot use to lock her in closets. The time she told Amber that her and Bray had a child, and then told Bray that she was dead. Not to forget the time she tried to kill Tai-san but ended up in a closet herself. How she helped the Guardian get Trudy and Brady. And not to forget the time she spent with Zoot putting fear into some many little kids eyes. When she finally stopped she waited for Jay to say something.

Some many bad things that Ebony focused on stunned Jay. Could the angel of his heart be a black angel of it instead? He didn't seem to understand how one person could hurt some many other people. How could she sleep at night? That's when it hit Jay. She hardly slept at night. Most of her nights where filled with nightmares of the Zoot guy she talked about. But she didn't seem to talk about all that happened with him. She had only told him two things about it. Now he wondered if there was more than that. What else could this guy have done to her that would make her dream about him three years later?

Ebony sighed when Jay said nothing to her. She rose to her feet and walked over to the door. "That's, that. I guess you won't have a problem now handing me over to Ram."

Jay got up and walked over to stand in front of Ebony. He had to show her now more than ever that he would never leave her. He just couldn't find the words to say it. He put his hand high up on the door, which Ebony had opened, closing it. When he pulled his hand from the door it came down to Ebony's chin. He raised her head to look at him. He could see the tears that were building up in her eyes. That's when it came to him. Hamlet! "You have to be cruel to be kind." Jay spoke softly. He knew right away Ebony understood what he was saying. He brought his head down to her level and kissed her gentle lips softly.

Jack sat in the small home that he had spent a lot of time in. Ellie hadn't come down from her room yet but no one else seemed to mind. They where all catching up with the twins and Alice. That's when Jack noticed something wasn't right. He looked around the room searching for her face but couldn't find it. He stood up to see if she was sitting with her back to him but she wasn't in the room. Where could she be?

Lex looked over at Tai-san. She looked so beautiful sitting on the cold floor. He got up and walked over to her. He sat down in front of her. "Tai-san you can't be mad at me forever." He said taking her hand.

Tai-san looked up at Lex. She could tell that he was truly sorry about what he did but she didn't know if she was ready to forgive him.

"Tai please say something to me." Lex begged her. All he wanted was to hear her sweet voice. To see her soft lips move.

Tai-san smiled at him. "I'm not sure what you want me to say Lex." Tai-san said knowing that that would please him.

Lex smiled when he hear tai-san's voice. It sent chills down his spine to know that she would talk to him now.

"God Tai-san I love you more than I have ever loved anything." Lex said bringing her over to him. He hugged her tightly. He wanted her to know that he didn't want to let her go. He loved her to much to think about losing her again.

"I know you do Lex." Tai-san said hugging back. She was happy to be in Lex's arms again. It made her forget about her feeling and think about how safe her felt with him. He had always made her feel that way. Even when she first came to the tribe. She still thought about the say they first slept together. She felt so bad for what she had done. She had lied to her self and made Lex cheat on his girlfriend/wife. But she was also happy that she had done it. It made her see how much she truly liked him and how much he cared about her. But it also showed that he couldn't stay faithful for to long. But he had been faithful to her for the last three years. Nothing had taken away their marriage and she was starting to think that nothing could. But then she got that feeling again. Something was come to make their problems bigger than they should be. She looked over at Bray. He looked so unhappy. Then she pulled away from Lex and looked at his face. She was so grateful for what she had but she wasn't sure how long it was going to last.


	13. Part 26 & 27

**Part 26**  
>Lex looked over at Tai-san. She was everything that he had ever dreamed for and more. She had the beauty, the mind and she showed that she truly loved him back. Lex put his hand on her cheek. "What would I do without you Tai-san?" Lex asked softly.<p>

"I hope we never have to find out." Tai-san said letting herself smile. She placed her hand on top of Lex's.

"Where do you think everyone is? I mean the mallrats?" Lex asked moving to put his back to the wall.

"I don't know…the farm maybe." Tai-san said resting her head on his shoulder. She didn't want to think about where her friends were. She just wanted to believe that they where safe somewhere.

Lex took both of Tai-san's hands and laced his figures with hers. The tips of her figures where so cold. He let go of one of her hands and pulled a few blankets up and over them. When he took her hand back he looked over at Bray. He looked so sad and alone.

"Bray come over here and sit with us. It's to cold to be sitting by yourself." Tai-san said letting out a yawn.

Bray smiled at how nice his friends where being. He rose to his feet and walked over to sit next to Tai-san. He sat down leaving a foot in-between them. "Thanks." He said wrapping his blanket around him. He didn't know what to say or think about what was going on between them.

Lex brought Tai-san's hands up to his mouth and blew his hot breath on them. When he was out of breath he put them back under the covers and scooted down so he could lay down on the floor. He smiled when Tai-san did the same.

Tai-san rested her head on Lex's chest. She could hear his heart pounding in his chest. She smiled and closed her eyes. "I love you Lex." She whispered.

"I love you too Tai-san." Lex said kissing the top of her head before falling asleep.

Cloe looked at the person in the doorway. This was the moment she had feared since they decide to come to the farm.

"Cloe is that you?" Ellie asked closing the door. She put her blanket on the back of a chair and revealed her huge stomach.

Cloe smiled. Ellie didn't know that her and Jack where back together. When her and Alice had left she was with Ved. "Yeah it's me."

"Why aren't you inside with the others?" Ellie asked walking over to the fire that was growing big.

"I just wanted to be alone." Cloe said placing her hands on her stomach.

"Oh…well." Ellie said sitting down on the couch that was in front of the fire.

"Why aren't you inside?" Cloe asked sitting down at the table.

"I'm not ready to face them yet." Ellie said looking down. "Well not Jack."

Cloe could feel that fear inside of her. What would happen if she did find out? Maybe Jack would go back to her and leave Cloe to raise their unborn child on her own. Maybe that's what she wanted if she kept thinking about it. Maybe she really didn't want to have Jack's kid or be with him. Cloe sighed when that thought entered her head. She looked at the candle on the table and watched the flame.

"So why are you so quite?" Ellie asked looking over at her.

"I just don't feel so well. I think I'm coming down with something." Cloe said still in a daze.

Ellie was quite for a minute trying to think about how she would apologize to Cloe. "Cloe?" Ellie asked.

Cloe turned and looked at Ellie waiting for her to talk.

"I'm sorry about the way I was back at the mall." Ellie said looking at her.

"It's okay Ellie. You were, I mean still are, pregnant. Your hormones and everything were working on over drive." Cloe said giving her a small smile.

Ellie smiled back at her and struggled to get up off the couch. She grabbed the blanket and walked over to the door. "I guess it's time to face everyone else." Ellie said before she walked out of the small home.

Cloe sighed loudly when Ellie was gone. She was too tired to think about anything else. Is all she wanted to do was sleep. It was only noon but she was tried. She walked into the little room in the back and crawled into the small bed that was already made. By the time her head hit the pillow she was asleep with thoughts of you child and Jack racing through her head.

Jack walked out of the farmhouse. He looked out over the field that they had just been walking on not long ago. He looked around to see if he could see her anywhere but his eyes fell upon the girl that had once held his heart. He smiled when Ellie got closer to him.

"Jack!" Ellie said with hope in her eyes. "Hi."

"Hey Ellie." Jack said normally. Ellie had no more effect on him or his heart anymore. The only girl that would ever have that hold on him now was Cloe.

"What are you doing out here in the cold?" Ellie asked standing next to the man that she loved more than anything.

"I was looking for Cloe. Have you seen her?" Jack asked turning to look at Ellie.

Ellie could feel all the blood drain from her face. Cloe was still trying to take Jack from her! She couldn't believe how nice Cloe was being to her. She just glared at Jack and then walked into the farmhouse.

Jack sighed and looked to see where Ellie was coming from. Jack's eyes came to the little house that was lit up. He smiled and walked down the steps and towards the house. When he got there he could smell fire burning. When he opened the door he was met with warm air and bright light. He smiled when he saw Cloe's purple jacket on the couch. He closed the door and walked around the small house looking for her. When he walked into the bedroom he saw his angel sleeping on the bed. He couldn't help but smile at that sight. He walked over to the side of the bed and careful got in next to her. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. When he opened his eyes he was looking into her eyes.

"Jack." Cloe said drowsily.

"Hey sweetie." Jack said holding her tighter.

"I don't want you to leave me for Ellie." Cloe said closing her eyes again. She was too tired to keep them open.

"I would never even think about it and you should think about it either." Jack said softly. He couldn't believe how beautiful when she slept. He loved to watch her when she was like this. He smiled as he thought about how perfect their life together would be.

**Part 27**  
>Ellie sat in the living room of her home listening to everyone tell her how big she was and how they all have been.<p>

"It's so good to see you again Ellie." Patsy said hugging her. "It's been to long."

"Yeah it has been awhile." Ellie said with a laugh.

"So when are you due?" Salene asked looking at her huge stomach.

"Awhile ago." Ellie said rolling her eyes. "This baby just doesn't want to come out of me. But I will be glad when it does."

"Yeah…we were going to go back to the mall after she had the baby but it doesn't look like it will be like that anymore." Alice said with a smirk.

"Yeah but I guess we'll just have to find a new home. We were going to go to the Eco's but they came to us not long ago, so we had to rule that one out." Amber said looking down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "But we have to go back to the city."

"What are you talking about?" Ellie asked. "Why would you want to do that?"

"We have to get Bray, Lex and Tai-san back…we can't leave them there. They are our family." Amber said looking up at her.

"And what about Ebony? Does she mean nothing to us? Do we just leave her there like a piece a dirt?" Patsy asked with anger inside of her. Sure Ebony had done a lot of bad things in the past but that didn't mean that she couldn't change and it seemed like she had done that for Jay.

"Patsy, Ebony is the enemy half the time. Why don't we leave her and let someone else deal with it." Salene said rolling her eyes.

"You guys, people can change and I think Ebony has. We can't leave her there. We don't know what they've done or will do to her." May said looking at Salene in disgust.

"May they are right. Remember what she did to Amber." Pride said.

May pulled away from Pride and stood up. She looked over at Patsy when she stood up as well. "Do any of you think that our leader would like that? To leave one of us behind. Sure Ebony has done stuff in the past but that doesn't mean we can't get her out as well. We wouldn't leave Trudy there no would we?" May said before walking outside.

Patsy looked at everyone in the room before rushing out after May. "What are we doing?" she asked as Paul followed her.

"I don't know but I'm not staying in there with a bunch of closed minded people. I mean look at me. I was the girl on the street and jacked things and I changed. Why the hell can't Ebony?" May said walking down the path to the cabin. "I'm staying in here for tonight. You can go back inside. It would probably be warmer."

"May I just walked out of there. I'm not walking back in." Patsy said smiling. She turned to look at the brother. He just seemed happy to be around. She smiled and hugged him. "Lets go in. its freezing out here."

Cloe woke up and sat up with fear in her eyes. When she sat up she had woken up Jack as well.

"Cloe what's wrong?" Jack asked sitting up.

"We can't go back to the city." Cloe said slowly. She couldn't believe it but what she saw felt so real, the pain she felt.

"Cloe what's going on?" Jack asked turning her to look at him.

"I can't lose you." Cloe said letting tears swiftly fall down her cheek.

"Cloe you had a nightmare. Nothing more than a bad dream." Jack said pulling Cloe into his arms. "You can't lose me…I love you to much too ever let that happen."

"Jack it was so bad." Cloe cried. She knew that it was a dream but this one had never felt so real before. "Promise me you won't go back to the city." Cloe said between sobs.

Jack didn't know what to say. He had to go back to save Ebony. But he didn't want to upset Cloe anymore. She was caring his baby and he couldn't leave her and have something happen to him.

"Jack?" Cloe asked pulled back to look at him. She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't going to. "Don't do this to me." Cloe said hitting his chest. She got up off the bed and walked out of the room crying.

"Cloe wait!" Jack yelled running after her. He stopped when he saw Cloe hugging Patsy. "Cloe."

"This is going to a really long day huh?" May asked as she sat down and buried her head. She didn't want to think about everything going on around her.

"Cloe please." Jack said walking over to her.

"Why do you just go kill yourself right now! And get it over with!" Cloe screamed at him. She turned and looked at him before going back into the bedroom. She could face him right now.

Jack turned to go after her but stopped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Let her cool down." Patsy said looking at him. Patsy sat down at the table and looked up at Jack. "What happened?"

Jack sighed and sat down. "She wants me to promise not to go back to the city but I can't I have to get Ebony out of there."

"Well I'm glad we aren't the only ones." May said with a sigh.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked looking at her.

"No one else wants to go back for Ebony. They all want to go back for Bray and Tai-san and Lex." Patsy said filling him in on why they were there.

"God." Jack said sitting back. "I can't go can I?" Jack asked.

"Jack she is pregnant…she doesn't want anything to happen to you. And that's what's going to happen if you go. This isn't like any other tribe we've seen before. They've got power!" May said standing up.

"But Ebony." Jack said looking up at her.

"Look maybe you should come but not go on the raid. You and Cloe could stay at the Hotel with the kids." Patsy said. "Not all of us can go."

"We aren't going to the city Jack!" Cloe said standing in the room. "They will take you."

"I think we all just need to rest. It's been a long day and we're all tired." May said before Jack could say anything to Cloe about it. She didn't want to see something so dumb and small come between them. She smiled and laid down on the couch.

"She is right. We could all use the rest." Patsy said smiling at Cloe. She got up from the table and laid down on the smaller couch (loveseat).

Jack looked over at Cloe. He didn't know if she wanted him to go back into the bedroom or stay out here.

Cloe walked over to Jack and put her hand out of him to grab. She knew that she couldn't stop him from going so she had to make do with the time she was going to have and just pray that the dream was just going to stay a dream.


	14. Part 28 & 29

**Part 28**  
>Mackenzie slowly made her way to the back of the mall. She knew there was another way to get into the mall she just didn't remember where it was. She walked past an old play set and let a smile creep across her face. There it was, the swears. As she made her way down the slimy pipe she thought about how she was going to get Ebony out of here. When her feet touch the floor she left go of the latter and wiped her hands off on her pants. As she turned around she jumped back out of surprise.<p>

"Damn it Ved don't do that to people." Mackenzie said with her hand on her chest. But she quickly changed her expression to anger when looking at him.

"What are you doing here?" Ved asked already knowing what was going on. Sure he felt bad for what he was doing but he knew he had to do it.

"I came to get Ebony!" Mackenzie said trying to push past him. "And don't stand in my way, or talk to me like we're friends, you lost your right to be my friend the moment to ruined this city."

"Ebony isn't going anywhere Mackenzie." Ved said making himself smile, he couldn't listen to her words or his job would be harder. "It's nice to see that you're out and about without your kids."

"What are you talking about?" Mackenzie asked getting any uneasy feeling. Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face, looking for so cue as to what was going on.

"Nothing. I just didn't think you would leave them alone when you just got out of here." Ved said walking towards her, but keeping his eyes on the wall behind her. He knew if he looked at her he would lose all control.

Mackenzie just looked at Ved for a minute. What did he know that she didn't? She could see it in his eyes that something was going to happen. She turned and hurried up the latter. As she ran down the empty streets she could hear her footsteps and someone's behind her.

All it took was a simple glance into those eyes, they were green this time, and filled with fear and confusion. It was just a simple moment like that that made him remember the words she said on the beach, the tug his heart gave, and a new need to protect her, the way she had protected him. He didn't know why but he couldn't keep his feet from moving. He knew this was wrong. She was a virt and he couldn't get any closer to her. He watched her run around a corner but when he got around that corner he didn't see her.

Mackenzie ran into the place that had become one of her many homes. To make her greatest fear come true the door was wide open. As she walked into the building she saw the room a mess. "HONESTY? LANE?" Mackenzie yelled as she looked all over. "Stephanie, where are you?" she whispered into the empty room.

As Ved ran into the building he could hear a soft cry. When he looked around he saw her. "Mackenzie." Ved said as he walked towards her quietly. Looking down at her he knew for the first time that he couldn't do this anymore, he couldn't do this to her. All the others had been simply that, others. He didn't know them, their story, dreams, anything, but he knew her, she had been a helping hand even when she didn't know him. She was already so weak, and now, he had broken her for sure.

"You took them." Mackenzie sobbed. She didn't know what to do now. Those kids where her life. The only reason she made it this long was because of them but now they were gone. "You took my family!" she stood up and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

"You can get them back." Ved said putting his hands on her arms and helping her back to the floor to sit.

Mackenzie looked up at him with fear in her eyes. What did they want with her? She had nothing more than anyone else. "You lied to me, I can't trust a single thing you say, you took them from me."

"All you have to do is join the Techno's, willingly." Ved said looking at her. He knew she would go for it. Those kids meant everything to her.

"You want me to become one of you?" Mackenzie asked.

"Just think about it. Ram won't hurt kids until we know. And after that who knows what will happen." Ved said standing up. He had to go back to being a real Techno. No more of the soft stuff. He turned and left letting his words hang in the air.

Mackenzie watched him go. There was no way she could throw away her life for something that only brought evil to the world. Is all she wanted to do was to get back to the states and back to her life.

Ebony sat in the café thinking about what was going to happen to her. Jay truly loved her but could she forgive him for what he did with Amber? Could she have a life with him or was that all gone now? Spike was back even thought she thought he had died. Ebony was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard crying. She looked over by the stairs only to see some of the Techno guards pulling Honesty and Lane up the stairs. Ebony rose and walked over to them.

When Honesty saw Ebony she pulled away from the guard and ran to her. But Lane couldn't get away.

"What's going on here?" Ebony asked picking up the little girl.

"It has nothing to do with you." One of the guards said.

"Well I'm making it my business." Ebony said in a sharp and cold tone. "Why do you have these kids?"

"Ram wants them." Ved said coming up the stairs.

"Why?" Ebony asked glaring at him.

"Ebony, just leave it." Ved said looking at her.

"Ved these are kids! Mackenzie's kids! What the heck does he want with them?" Ebony shouted.

"I want Mackenzie." Ram said smiling at he rode into café. He looked up at Java and Siva and smiled.

"So why take her kids?" Ebony demand. She wasn't going to stop until she got an answer.

"To get Mackenzie, I had to take what was most important to her." Ram said.

Ebony glared at him. Then she let a small little smile creep across her face. Jay had told her that Ram was germ phobic. "Ram you do know that little kids get sick easily, and it's hard to keep them clean."

Ram moved back away from them. GERMS? He had to rethink his plan. "Give them to her." Ram said covering his mouth before he left the café.

"Ebony!" Lane cried as he ran to her.

"Its okay guys." Ebony said getting down on her knees. "Why don't we go to my room. We can draw some pictures." Ebony said putting Honesty down and picking up Lane. How was she going to pull this one off? She had to get them back to Mackenzie before she gave in and get away from here before they took her as well.

Tai-san opened her eyes when the door opened. The light and warmth filled the room.

"Get up." a male voice said.

"Why?" Lex asked not trusting who ever it was.

"Because you are going to stay in your rooms." Jay said putting his hand out for them.

"What do you mean?" Tai-san asked standing up on her own.

"I mean Ram is going to let you stay in your own rooms like Ebony." Jay said moving so they could go out the door.

Bray got up and looked at Jay. He was so mad he could punch him but that wasn't his main focus. Is all he wanted to do was to get away and back to his kids and wife.

"Thank you Jay. But we still can't trust you." Tai-san said before leaving the room. She knew that she would never trust him again. No matter what happened. Even if he did save them.

"Tai-san lets go to bed." Lex said before he picked his wife up. "Resting with you is all I want right now."

"I think that sounds great." Tai-san said putting her arms around his neck. She couldn't think of anything better at the moment and she was too tired to try.

Next-

The mallrats come up with a plan

Jack makes a promise

Ebony tells the other what she thinks

Mackenzie is confused by Ved

**Part 29**

All the mallrats sat in the main house.

"We have to come up with a plan." Amber said looking at all of the mallrats.

"Okay so what's your idea?" Pride asked knowing Amber was always coming up with ideas.

"I think we need to send in a party of people to go in and out quickly. We know the mall better than anyone else. So it's got to be us that goes." Amber said looking at him.

"Amber you can't go. If something happened to you." Pride said shaking his head. "I would never forgive myself."

"This is going to be dangerous so we need to send as many people as we can. And we have to do it soon. Because none of us know what they're going to do to the other mall rats." Amber said slowly.

"Wait how dangerous are we talking?" KC asked.

"I don't know. We could all be taken or killed. But we've all agreed that this is a risk we have to take." Pride said looking around at everyone.

"So who's going?" Alice asked after a long pause.

"Most of us." Amber said looking around at everyone. "Pride, May, KC, Ryan, Alice and Jack."

"No!" Ellie shouted at Amber as she started to cry.

Everyone in the room started to talk at the same time.

Jack looked up when Cloe let go of his hand and walked towards the door. He got up to follow her.

Cloe looked up at the dark blue sky. It was now shinning with stars and the moon.

"Cloe?" Jack asked coming up behind her.

Cloe turned around and looked at Jack.

Jack looked at Cloe. Her eyes were twinkling in the nights light because of the tears that had filled them.

"Please don't go." Cloe said looking at him. But she knew what he was going to say.

"I have to. You know I have to." Jack said taking both her hands. "Cloe I promise you right now that nothing is going to happen. I'm going to be fine. And I'm going to come back to you."

Cloe didn't say anything she just put her head down on his shoulder as she started to cry.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!

"How long do you think it's going to be before they come for us?" Lex asked looking at Tai-san and Bray.

"I don't know. But I hope they're careful." Bray said looking out the door of the room they were in.

"I'm sure that they will plan carefully." Tai-san said looking up at Bray. She knew how worried he was.

"All we can do is pray and hope." Bray said softly.

"I don't even think that praying is going to help us now." Ebony said walking into the room.

"Ebony?" Lex asked sitting up on the bed.

Tai-san got off the bed ran to Ebony and hugged her. "You're okay." She said smiling.

"Yeah I'm fine for right now." Ebony said looking at Tai-san. "We're all fine for now."

"What are you talking about Ebony?" Bray asked.

"They're sending us some where." Ebony said quietly walking farther into the room. "I don't know where so don't ask." She said knowing what Lex was about to say. "But it can't be good because Jay is really worried. He keeps telling their leader or whatever that we could be useful here."

"Wait you're trying to keep us locked up?" Lex asked.

"No. I'm trying to find out what's going on Lex." Ebony snapped. "Look they'll do anything to get what they want. They took Mackenzie cousins so she would join them. That means they're capable of doing anything to get to any of us because they know what our weaknesses are."

"You don't have a weakness Ebony." Bray said looking at her.

"We all do Bray. And they know what they are." Ebony said softly.

"So what do we do?" Tai-san asked.

"I'm not totally sure but I think it has to do with Zoot." Ebony said looking around at all of the reactions.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Mackenzie stood at the fountain in the mall. She knew this was the only thing she could do. She looked up at the stairs when she heard someone coming down them.

"What are you doing here?" Ved asked in a sharp whisper when he got closer to her.

"This is what you guys wanted wasn't it?" Mackenzie asked. Her eyes were still red from all the crying and her head hurt like crazy. "I'm giving you what you want."

"Mackenzie, why are you doing this?" Ved asked looking at her.

"Because I would do anything to get them back, they are my life, and I'm not leaving here without them." Mackenzie said harshly. "So get your damn leader, because I'm here and I want Honesty and Lane."

"That doesn't mean you have to give into Ram." Ved said pulling her over to a bedroom that was empty.

"Those are my kids!" Mackenzie shouted trying not to cry. "I would do anything for them."

"They are with Ebony. They are safe right now." Ved said looking her in the eye.

"You planed all this. You knew this was going to happen before you even did it. So why are you trying to talk me out of it?' Mackenzie asked looking at him.

Ved just sighed. "I can't promise their safety, or yours."

"Well then why are you trying to stop me?" Mackenzie asked.

"Because I care." Ved said.

"Then you have a really sick way of showing it." Mackenzie told him before turning and leaving the room to find the tribe leader.

"Please don't do this." Ved said running after her. He looked up at her halfway up the stairs.

Mackenzie stopped and slowly turned around and looked at him. "You left me no choice Ved. This is what I have to do because I can't wait. I have to get them back now." She said before turning back around and starting back up the stairs.

Ved grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Please don't give in, not yet." He said looking into her eyes. "I'm trying to stop this."

"You can't stop this." Mackenzie said wiping tears from her eyes.

Ved looked at her for a moment before softly kissing her lips. "Go back and wait."

Mackenzie felt as though her breath had been sucked from her. Ved's lips were warm and soft. She still felt as though they were still there.

"Please." Ved said stepping up to be closer to her.

Mackenzie nodded her head softly before running down the stairs. She didn't know what had just happened, and she wasn't sure that she could trust Ved, but something was making her.


	15. Part 30 & 31

**Part 30**

"You've got to be joking Ebony." Bray said looking over at her.

"He's dead, Ebony." Lex was looking her in the eye. "I pushed him. I killed him." He said standing up and looking around the room. There was no way he could be alive, none. He had checked his pulse, there was none. He was sure that he was dead.

"I am telling you what I think." Ebony said with a sigh. She knew this wasn't going to go over well with everyone. And she knew she was crazy to think that they would believe her about any of it.

"Ebony, explain. Please." Tai-san said softly.

"I saw Spike." Ebony said softly. She looked up at Bray and knew instantly what he was thinking. "Yeah I thought so too."

"How could you have seen him?" Bray asked confused. The last time anyone had seen him he was floating in her pool at the hotel. "He was in the pool."

"Wait, is this the dead boy?" Lex asked.

"Please both of you let her talk." Tai-san said loudly.

"I thought he was dead, we even buried him." She was trying to come up with a solution in her head, something to explain how it was him in the pool, and him in the room, locked up. "Look I don't know how this happened, but it was him. I can't explain how it was him. But he said something to me. He told me that I had to find myself to find Zoot, and that he wanted me." Ebony said slowly as she replayed it in her head. There had to have been something that she missed. Somewhere, something would make all this add up correctly.

"He sounds just as crazy as he was before." Lex said with a sigh. "We can't believe anything he says. Its hard to even believe you, I mean he's dead."

"Lex the way he said it. Look you don't have to believe me. But I was there. I saw the look in his eye and either way he knows where Zoot is." Ebony said before turning around.

"Ebony, you have to understand, we are having a hard time wrapping our heads around this, they are both dead, I saw both of them." Bray said in a very calm voice. He knew how much fear Spike had brought to Ebony in those hours he had her locked up, and he knew that deep down she was scared of his brother as well. He had to make her understand that they were both gone.

"Don't you think I want to believe that too?" Ebony asked looking at Bray, she had fear in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to believe that her nightmares where just that, nightmares. But something in her was telling her differently.

Bray could see the fear, it was the same fear he remembered seeing so many years before. "What can we do Ebony?" he asked. He had no choice but to believe her now, he could do nothing but help her.

"I don't know if there is anything we can do." Ebony felt defeated for once. She didn't know how to fight a ghost, and she wasn't sure that the four of them would be able to do it. "We just need to get away from here, as far as we can get without anyone knowing."

"I think that's already on our to do list Ebony." Lex told her.

"Lex." Tai-san said looking over at him. "Try and be nice for once, all this hostel energy is not going to help us get out of here."

"Well then we need to come up with some sort of plan." Ebony said looking at all the faces. "To get us away from all these people, and fast."

The four of them quickly started throwing ideas out. This was something that they had been thinking about since they were taken the night before. But they knew that they had to come up with something fool proof, and quick.

Mackenzie paced back and forth along a street. In one hand she had Lane's favorite stuff animal, in the other one of Honesty's doll. The sun was getting ready to set on another day, and she could hear the distance cries of other city kids. The invasion of the city was in full swing. She had already seen things she couldn't believe. Trucks and tanks driving around the city taking loads of teenagers with them, not caring who they were, or what tribe they were from. It all seemed too unreal to her.

She looked down at the toys in her hands. They were all she had. She couldn't go back to her home, they knew where she lived. They had her kids, and she had no idea where Stephanie was. But she knew that they had taken her.

It was starting to get cold, and dark. She didn't know where to go, or what to do. As she walked up and down the same street she listened for any noise, any sign that something was coming closer to her. But she heard nothing. Where was she going to go? What was she going to do?

Ved had made her promise not to go to the mall, not to give in. He had kissed her. She hardly knew him now, and he had done something so outrageous, but here she was listening to him. She wasn't sure if she should trust him again, but she knew that Ebony was with Honesty and Lane, and that meant that they were okay. She knew Ebony wouldn't let anything to happen them, and she knew Ebony would be working on a way out.

But that kiss, it seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago, and not just hours ago. She brushed her lips lightly with the tips of her fingers, trying to forget the feeling of Ved's lips on hers. But she was pulled from her thoughts when she heard foot steps. She quickly pressed her body against the wall of a doorway. Trying to watch the masked figure without being seen or heard. Her heart speed up as he turned to walk down the street. She had to hold her breath to keep from being heard.

"Mackenzie." He whispered. He looked down the street. He knew that she was hiding. He knew that she was smart enough not to go back home. But he didn't know where she would be.

Mackenzie sniffed loudly when she heard her name. She wasn't sure if it was a trick, or someone she knew. She watched as the figure got closer to where she was.

His head jerked to where the noise came from. Someone was down here, he knew that much. He held out his wrist with the laser slightly and continued down the street. "Mackenzie." He whispered again, hoping it was her he had heard.

She couldn't hold her breath any longer, and closed her eyes tightly and stepped out into the street away from the wall. Shaking, she opened her eyes to look at the masked figured.

He raised his wrist higher at the sight of movement. He knew how crazy virts could be, acting on impulse, thinking they could over power them. But through the holes in his mask he saw her brown eyes. She looked more terrified than he remembered. "Mackenzie." He sighed as his arm fell back to his side. He stepped forward, but watched as she stepped back away from him. Uncertainty filled her eyes.

Mackenzie gripped the toys in her hands tight when he said her name again. She didn't understand how he knew her name, unless they were looking for her. She wasn't sure if she should turn to run, she knew that they had something to shoot people down to the ground if they fought them. She had watched Ebony fall to the ground, and had already seen helpless teens all over fall the same way.

He understood that she didn't know who he was. He reached up and pulled the mask away from his face. This was the only way he could show her.

"Ved." She cried running to him and throwing her arms around his neck. She didn't have any energy left to be mad at him, even though she knew he was helping invading the city, he was helping take away all the city kids.

"It's okay." Ved said putting his arms around her waist and pulling her as close to him as she would allow. "You shouldn't be in the streets, it's not safe."

"I don't know where to go." Mackenzie sobbed. She felt so helpless without her kids.

Ved looked around them, he knew that night patrol had already started, and no Techno would be allowed out on foot. "Come on." He said pulling her down the street quickly. He wasn't sure where the safest place would be, but he knew being in the open wasn't.

Mackenzie followed him for a few blocks before they went into an abandoned store. Once they were inside, through the busted window they went deep into the back of the store, she watched how Ved keep his right arm up. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I didn't." he said looking back at her. "But I knew you wouldn't go back to your place, I had to make sure you were okay."

"Honesty and Lane?" she asked.

"They were fine when I saw them. They were with Ebony." Ved said when they reached the back wall. "I don't think there is anyone in here."

"There is hardly anyone left in the whole city." Mackenzie cried looking at him. She could hardly make out his face. "Your tribe has been taking people, hurting them. I've seen it happening all day!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I should have warned you." Ved said looking back towards the window they had come in.

"What is going on Ved. Why are you here? Why are you letting this happen?" Mackenzie was still crying hard.

"I promise we do more good than harm, most of the time. This is just the way it goes. People have to help get this place running again. It takes man power, and we take people to do that." Ved told her. He knew that she wouldn't understand. Their ideas for helping people were different. "It's going to be okay." He said pulling her into a hug. "I'm going to get you and the others out of the city." He didn't know how he was going to do this. But he knew that he couldn't let her stay here.

Together the two of them sat down, Ved's arms still around her as she cried. He sat there, rubbing her hand, just like she had done with him so many times before. He listened as her soft cries fell silent and she was asleep.

"The swears?" Lex asked looking at Ebony and Bray. They were all in Ebony's room now, having decided that it was safer to all be together. The two children were fast asleep on her bed.

"Ved knows about them, I'm sure he's already told them everything he knows." Tai-san said with a huff. Everything they were coming up with was to standard.

"Can't we get Jay to help us?" Bray asked looking at Ebony. "You said he was trying to keep them from sending us away, he should be able to get us out of here." He wasn't sure where Jay was standing with Ebony at the moment.

"I don't think so." Ebony said looking at the door. She was waiting for him to walk in and see them all there. "Getting him to help us would be like walking right out the front door. Almost impossible."

"What if we just walked out of the front door?" Bray asked quietly.

"We can't. They have guards at the door, by the stairs and outside this room." Lex said looking at him. He was sure that he had cracked. Walking out the front door, it was laughable.

"But it's so simple. It's something they wouldn't expect us to do." Ebony said seeing where Bray was going with this. She looked down at her bed. "But the kids. It wouldn't work."

"No, but if one of us could get out, we would be able to see how tight the security really is." Bray said looking around the room. "We just need to get a uniform."

The door seemed to open at the right moment. Both Lex and Bray stood up to stand in front of the intruder and the girls. Ebony pushed herself between them.

"It's just me." Jay said taking his mask off and closing the door.

"The wrist thing to." Lex said looking at him and then the strap around his wrist.

Jay did as he was told and placed it and his mask on a small table by the door. "No one can find Ved."

"Good, maybe the city kids got a hold of him." Lex snorted.

None of the others said anything to Jay on the matter of his brother. No one was pleased with him at the moment. The whole room grew silent as they all looked at each other, unsure of what they could say in front of Jay.

"Are you going to help us get out or not?" Bray finally asked. He wanted to get to the point quickly, because a plan was already forming in his head.

"I wish I could. I wish that you would see we are able to do a lot of good in the city." Jay sighed sitting down in a chair.

Bray got up and started to pace behind Jay and Lex. He looked up and Ebony, and he knew that she saw what was going on, and she didn't seem to care to stop him.

"Keeping us locked up in our own home isn't helping this city." Ebony looked at him. "I told them that you weren't going to help us. The enemy never helps."

"Ebony I am not the enemy. The sooner you all see that, the sooner you can help us rebuild this city." Jay was pleading with them.

"Rebuild? What do you think you will be able to do, that hasn't already been done?" Tai-san asked. She had seen this city through everything, and she knew this was no different, just a matter of power.

"We can get the hospitals running again, the power to the whole city, schools. We are able to do all of this, it just takes time." Jay doubted any of this would make them understand, they weren't Amber, they wouldn't look to see the long run.

"And taking me away from my wife and sons is the way to do that?" Bray shouted.

"We need man power, we look for the brightest and strongest within the city." Jay said back quickly.

Bray quickly hit Jay in the back of the head with a bat he had picked up without anyone seeing. He watched as Jay slumped to one side and fell off the chair.

"Is he alive?" Ebony said quickly getting on the floor and turning him over.

"He's just unconscious." Tai-san breathed with her hand on his neck.

"We don't even know if this is going to work." Lex said looking at Jay, as Bray and Ebony took his uniform off.

"We've got to try, don't we?" Ebony asked looking up at him. "Go stand by the door and make sure no one comes in."

"Who's going to do it then?" Tai-san asked looking from Bray to Lex.

"I have to. I'm closer to his size than Lex is." Bray said quickly looking around the room. "Should we tie him up?"

"No." Ebony said putting her hand on Jay's face. She looked down at him. "Let's just go fast."

The girls worked on getting the uniform off Jay, while Bray undressed himself. They quickly switched clothes, and Lex helped Ebony move Jay's body to the bed, next to the kids, while Tai-san put the mask on Bray.

"You have to remember, he's a general." Ebony said turning to look at him. "And if anyone asks us where we are going, just tell him you are following orders from Lord Ram." she was trying to remember everything she had heard in the last few hours. Anything that would help them. "We should use the sewers. Its got to be less guarded."

"Where are we going once we get out?" Tai-san asked picking up a sleeping Lane off the bed. The little boy stirred, but quickly went back to sleep.

"I don't know, lets just try and get out." Ebony said as Lex picked up Honesty.

"Lets go, before he comes to." Bray said looking at the bed and then back at Ebony.

Ebony nodded her head. She leaned down and kissed Jay on the forehead, and turned and followed Bray out of the room. She knew they only had a slim chance of getting out of the mall without being seen.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Amber I can't do this." Jack said looking at her.

"What are you talking about?" Amber asked looking up from her sleeping son. "You have to do this. We all have to do this."

"I can't just leave Cloe here. She's pregnant, and freaked out." Jack told her. "I know you don't approve of us, but do you think Bray would want to leave you here?"

"Bray wouldn't think twice about it. There are mallrats there. We have to go Jack, it's that simple. We should have gone last night."

"And if something happens to me?" Jack asked. "What will happen to Cloe then?"

"The tribe will take care of her, you know that. We always take care of each other. We are mallrats Jack, this is what we do." Amber put her son down and looked down at him then back up and Jack. "Don't you think I am risking a lot here to? I have a son that will have no one if I don't come back. There is a lot at stake here, but this is something we have to do Jack, it's from the mallrats."

He knew that she was right, and he also knew that from the start he was going to be going back to the city. There was no way he could leave without knowing where Ebony and the others were.

"Jack, I can't make you go. I am asking you to do this, to help us." Amber said looking into his eyes.

"How are we going to do it? We've seen the smoke. They've taken over the whole city already. You saw the planes this morning." Jack said.

"I'm not sure yet, but we will think of something." Amber said looking at him. "We know that they are at the mall, we saw the trucks. Maybe we can go through the sewers and find them?"

"We don't even know if they are still in the city." Pride said joining them.

"No, we don't." Amber knew this was going to be hard.

"I think we should wait a few days, and see if things calm down. Once they are in the city, kids will start to leave, we need to wait until we hear more from within the city." Jack said.

"We could send a few of us into the city, to see what is happening." May said looking at them.

"That's true, it's a good idea, it's the only fool proof way to really know what is happening." Pride agreed.

"It is a good idea, but we are all know as mallrats, if Ved has told them, they could be looking for all of us." Amber said thinking about it. "But it's the only way to know for sure what is happening."

"We should send a few people in, in the morning, just for a few days, to watch and see what is happening. Stay out on the outskirts of town, over by the zoo. Then slowly go in farther." May knew the city like the back of her hand.

"That is a good idea." Amber said with a sigh. "Anyone want to do it?" she asked.

"I will." May said looking around at them. "I know the city better than most of you, I can slowly make my way back in."

"I can go with her." KC said from outside their little circle. "I know the city pretty well too, and I know some good hiding places, some of Lex's places." He said, knowing it would help.

"KC!" Patsy said in protest. She didn't want him going into the city anymore than Cloe wanted Jack leaving.

"It's the best plan we've got." KC said looking at her.

"Okay." May said looking at KC. "We should start planning now, and leave at sunrise."

"Three days, that is all I am giving you guys." Amber said looking at them. "If you aren't back by nightfall on the third day, we're coming in."

"We can do it." KC said nodding his head.

The whole group started to talk and draw out on a table cloth where they would be going, where Lex's hiding spots were, and how far into the city they would go.

**Part 31**

Ebony stood close behind Bray as they walked down the hallways of the mall, towards the sewers. They had been so lucky as to not see anyone that questioned what they were doing. But Ebony knew that luck was running out when she saw another Techno approaching, one that had talked to Jay before.

"Jay." He said stopping them and looking at Ebony and the others.

Bray didn't say anything. He just looked at the other boy and waited.

"What are you doing?" he asked looking back at him. "I thought Lord Ram wanted them all deleted in the morning, all but that one." He glanced at Ebony.

Ebony looked over at Bray and knew that he was scared to talk, his voice sounded nothing like Jay's. "And you don't think we have the right to take a walk around, this is our mall after all." Ebony said looking up at the guy.

"With two sleeping children?" he asked. "And virt, don't speak unless spoken to. Learn your place, or I'll quickly teach it to you."

"I am following Lord Ram's orders." Bray said trying to mask his voice as good as he could.

"Well then." He said crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Have you seen your brother yet? No one has seen him come in, Ram wants a word with him when he does finally turn up."

"I haven't." was all Bray said in reply.

"He better not be out playing with any virts." He said looking back at Ebony with a disgusted look on his face. He stepped to the side and watched as who he thought was Jay walk by with the virts following behind him.

"That was close." Ebony whispered when they were around the corner. They could see the entrance to the sewers. All they had to do was make it inside of them. "I'll go first, hand the kids down to me." She said as they quickly made their way across the open area.

As soon as they were all in the sewers they turned and ran down the path as fast as they could. They wanted to get away from the mall quickly.

"You don't think he knew, do you?" Bray asked as they climbed up the exit.

"I don't know." Ebony said holding Lane and looking around them, she felt overly exposed. "Let's just hurry and get into a building."

"He would have stalled if he knew." Tai-san said, who was now holding Honesty. Both girls handed the kids, who were now awake to Bray and Lex. They could run faster holding them.

As they ran past the play ground they saw him. The same man that stopped them inside standing outside now, with his right arm raised and pointed at them.

"The laser." Ebony whispered to Bray.

"I don't know how." Bray said looking back over at her quickly. But he too raised his arm and pointed it at the guy.

"Did you think you could fool me?" he laughed. "Jay has been worried about his pathetic little brother all day, and you didn't care at all."

"So what are you going to do? There is one of you and four of us," Ebony said taking Honesty out of Bray's arms. She put her down behind her, out of the way. "You can't think you would win against us."

"Oh, but I know how to use this." He laughed.

Ebony looked from Bray's wrist to the guy standing in front of them. She knew that they had no clue how to work it in the dark. But before she could say anything else, and flash of light came from behind them and hit the boy, making him fall, just as Ebony had. She turned around quickly to see where it had come from. Jay was standing behind them, with another Techno uniform on.

"You had to knock me out to do this?" Jay asked looking at them. He was angry, but he knew why they did it.

"We had to do something." Bray said with his arm now pointed at Jay.

"Put it down before you hurt yourself. I'm not going to hurt any of you." Jay sighed walking closer to them.

"We aren't going back in there." Lex said pointing at the mall.

"I didn't think you would. You've made it this far. I'm not going to stop you. But if you get caught, I won't be able to help you." Jay said looking at all of them. They were faces he had been looking at for the last four months, faces that seemed so familiar to him.

"Thank you." Bray said picking up Honesty and quickly turning the way they were going, walking as fast as he could.

"You won't come with us?" Ebony asked looking up at him. She had never begged someone so much before. It made her feel weak, to think that she wanted him, or even needed him to come with them.

"I told you Ebony." Jay said wishing she would stay with him.

"You told me you loved me." Ebony said stepping back. "But I guess love isn't enough."

"Please." Jay said stepping forward, just enough to reach out and touch her.

"No." Ebony said shaking her head.

"Ebony! Lets go!" Lex said. They had all stopped a few yards away, watching them.

"You're just another name to add to a list." Ebony said turning. She didn't bother to look back at him. She just ran with the others, she had to get away. She had to escape this place, this city, before her nightmares became true.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Mackenzie woke up suddenly. She was cold, and couldn't feel her toes, but the whole left side of her body was kept warm by Ved. She had woken him with her sudden movement.

"What's wrong?" Ved asked rubbing his eyes and looking around, unsure if she had heard something.

"Honesty and Lane." She said breathless, it wasn't sure a nightmare, they really weren't with her.

"They are at the mall." Ved said moving to look her in the eyes. "They are safe with Ebony. Jay won't let anything happen to them."

"What if they need me? They could need me." Mackenzie said pleading with him. This was the longest she had been away from them.

Ved could see how hard this was on her. "Tomorrow, I will get them out, and back to you." He didn't know how but he knew he had to do something fast. "We can't do anything now, it's to dark, and to dangerous to try and sneak them out." He pulled her over to him. She was freezing.

"What happened to Stephanie?" Mackenzie asked. This was the first chance she had to ask any real questions.

"I don't know. I wasn't there on the raid. I will look tomorrow if the computers are up and running. We keep track of everyone we take, and what happens with them." Ved informed her. He didn't know how to make is sound nice, he just knew how to say it as he would to anyone else.

Mackenzie couldn't help but cry at that. Her best friend was gone. Her kid's had been taken from her, and she didn't know what was going to happen now.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"We've got to rest." Tai-san panted. She was out of breath, and she knew that they were miles from the mall by now.

"There is a place not to far from here. We can stay there until the sun comes up, and then head for the farm." Lex said pointing the way. He looked at his shoulder, the little girl was still wide awake, hanging on to his back.

"What about Mackenzie?" Ebony asked. "She doesn't know where the farm is. She wouldn't even know that we were going to a farm."

"Ebony we barely got out of the mall. We have to get out of the city." Bray said looking down at her.

"Bray, she is somewhere in this city. I can't just leave her here, and take her kid's with me. How would you feel if you didn't know where Baby Bray and Johnnie where, if they were safe or not?" She knew that they were her life, and taking them with her, it felt wrong.

"We will think of something, but we need to get away from here for now." Tai-san said trying to help Bray. "We need to keep moving."

"I'll agree to that." Lex said as they started off again.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"So what do you think we are going to find?" KC asked as her and May walked around the abandoned zoo.

"I told you. I know the guy that runs this place." May said quietly. "I meet him once with Ebony. He's one scary guy."

"And what is the point of us coming to him?" KC wondered.

"He would set these animals lose on anyone that tried to take him." May said looking around at the cages.

"Lets hope he doesn't set them free on us." KC said as they passed a tigers cage.

"I don't set them free on just anyone." Someone said from within the cage.

Both May and KC jumped back startled at the sound, and the location of where it came from. The man in the cage, looked like an animal himself.

"Did I hear you mention Ebony?" he asked standing up. He was tall and thin, his long hair unkept, and he had a wild look in his eyes.

"Yes, have you heard anything about her, since this new tribe came?" May asked steeping forward. She knew that he had to be able to see all of who he was talking to.

"I can't say I have heard much of anything since this new tribe." The name said tilting his head to the side. "They have taken most of the city, they even came here, but we showed them." He said placing his hand on the tigers head, and looked down at the mask and torn clothing on the ground.

"God." May said turning her head away from the sight of bloody bones.

"Even she has to feed." He said coming out of the cage. "I take it you two are coming back into the city, very unwise I think."

"Yeah, we know." KC said frozen in his spot, his eyes glued on the tiger.

"If you are scared I will turn her lose on you, don't be. You two pose no threat to me." He laughed.

"This tribe, they took some of our friends and we want to get them back." May said trying hard not to look at the ground.

"I doubt they are still in the city, they have been taking truck loads of us out of the city." A girl said coming from behind them. "They patrol the streets and take anyone they see."

"But they haven't taken any of us. Their power doesn't work on our friends." The male said turning back to look at his tiger.

"People often underestimate the power of a single animal." The girl smiled and stood next to the male, she looked just has unkempt as he did.

"They are patrolling?" KC asked.

"Yes." The girl said.

"Thank you." May smiled. She looked over at KC and the two turned to leave.

"Good luck. If you are close and need help, come back here. We will protect who we can." The man said bowing to them as they left.

When the two were outside of the zoo, and sure they were out of ear shot they spoke.

"I told you he was scary." May said looking over her shoulder. "Most of Ebony's friends are pretty scary."

"Let's not go back there, unless we have to." KC said looking around the empty streets. He wasn't sure he had ever seen the streets, even this far out, so empty. It looked strange and different.

"Let's just get to the closest hiding spot, and see what we can find out." May said as they walked down the street, close to the wall.

"There is one not to far from here." KC said following her lead. He wasn't really sure how far it was, without all the people around it seemed so different.

The two of them snuck around corners, and walked down the streets quickly and quietly, unsure of what was waiting for them every time they looked around.

"It's up there." KC said when they came to something he knew. He took the lead, and quickly they approached an alleyway that looked like a dead end. When they got to the end of the alley way KC pulled a piece of wood away from the wall and behind it there was a doorway. "Hurry up." He said opening it and watching May go inside. Once he was in he let the wood over the door, and closed the door behind him. "Now what?"

May slapped her hand over KC's mouth quickly, and pulled them both back to the wall. Laying on the floor just feet from them where bodies. It was to dark to make out who it was, or even if they were alive, but May knew better than to wake the sleeping, or dead.

KC reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of matches. Alice had told him that he was going to need these when they left the farm, and he didn't believe her. He lit on and held it out, trying to see if they were breathing. It burned quickly down to his fingers and he dropped it. "Did you see anything?" KC asked as quietly as he could.

"No do it again." May whispered back. This time she was ready for what he was doing. She watched as the light outline the bodies, she could make out that there were at lest six of them, but two of them were kids. She waited while he lit another one and stepped closer to where they bodies where. This time she saw the long black hair, the braids, and blond curls. "You've got to be kidding me." May sound in a normal tone this time.

KC punched her in the arm, and watched as the bodies on the floor quickly moved about.

"Who's there?" Someone shouted, swinging fists in the air.

"Lex!" May shouted, hoping he would stop before he hit them. But her timing was off, his fist came in contact with the side of KC's face.

"May?" Tai-sans voice asked from somewhere on the other side.

"Oww." KC said on the ground.

"KC?" Lex asked putting his hands out looking for the door.

"Did you really have to hit me?" KC asked kicking his feet, and felt Lex trip over him.

May managed to find the door and open it without having the wood fall, giving them just enough light to make each other out.

"What the hell?" May asked looking around.

"What are you guys doing here?" Bray said helping KC up.

"We should be asking you guys that." KC told him.

"We came to scout out the security on the mall, to find you guys." May said filling them in.

"We got out last night." Tai-san said.

"Where is Mackenzie and her friend?" May asked look at the children in Ebony's arms.

"We don't know. Somewhere in the city we hope." Ebony sighed.

"I want to go home." Honesty cried.

"I want my mommy." Lane said crying as well.

Ebony sighed and pulled them both closer to her. She knew that they both had to be scared, this was the longest they had been away from Mackenzie, and she was worried about how Mackenzie was handling it. "It's going to be okay."

"Well you guys just made our job a lot easier." KC said looking at them. "You have no idea how happy this is going to make everyone."

"This means we can leave." May said looking over at KC. "They aren't going to believe this at all when we get back."

"I think if we can make it back to the zoo, we should be able to make it the rest of the way, without any problems." KC said thinking about. He didn't know how long it had taken them to get this far, but he was sure it wasn't long.

"We can't go back." Lex sighed and looked at them.

"What?" both May and KC said at the same time.

"We have to find Mackenzie." Ebony said standing up.

"And how are we going to do that?" KC asked. "They are patrolling the streets."

"I don't know." Ebony said looking up at him.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Stay here." Ved said looking at Mackenzie. "I'll go in, talk with Jay, I will get them out of there, and bring them here. You have to promise me you won't leave this spot."

"Just hurry." Mackenzie said looking at Ved. She knew he would do what he could, and even more if he had to. But all she wanted right now was her kids back in her arms, where she knew they would be safe. She wanted to hear Stephanie's laugh, and to be able to hug her. She just wanted her family.

"Promise." Ved said looking at her.

"I won't leave." Mackenzie said hugging him quickly and then watching him as he walked away.

Ved knew that they weren't far from the mall. He knew it wasn't safe to leave her there. But he had to act fast, her will power was fading fast. He ran as fast as he could into the mall, not paying attention to the guards shouting at him.

"Where have you been!" Jay said stopping him at the top of the stairs. He looked like he hadn't slept all night.

"Out." Ved responded. "I need to talk to you."

"Good, cause I need to talk to you." Jay said pulling him towards a room that was locked. They key he had found in Ebony's room belonged to his door, and he knew no one else had been inside it.

The brothers quickly stepped it and locked the door behind them. They both looked around shocked at what they saw. Mackenzie had told Ved about this room, but he hadn't really believed it. At lest fifteen computer screens filled the room, each one showing a different room within the mall.

"My god, she is brilliant." Ved laughed looking around. He could see all the Techno's still sleeping.

"Who?" Jay asked still amazed. "Ebony?" he had figured that the key belonged to Bray.

"Yeah." Ved laughed. But as he looked at the screen that had Ebony's name beneath it, he saw what was missing. "Where is she?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Jay said looking back at his brother. "I let them go last night."

"You what!" Ved shouted at him. "How could you do something like that! You know what Ram would do if he found out! I can't believe that he hasn't already erased our memories."

"They knocked me out, and took my uniform. They almost made it when Mega stopped them outside the mall. I caught up to them, and lasered him before he hurt any of them." Jay explained.

"Damn it." Ved said looking down. Now what was he going to do? He had no idea where they were going, or how to find them. How was he going to get the kids back to Mackenzie?

"What?" Jay asked.

"Mackenzie. She is waiting. I came back to get the kids." Ved said looking back up at his brother. "Do you have any clue where they were going?"

"I'm guessing the farm the others went to. But I don't know where it is, or even what direction to go." Jay said looking at him.

"No." Ved said thinking. "Ebony wouldn't leave with those kids, she knows that Mackenzie is out there somewhere."

"But where would they go? They know that the city isn't safe for them right now." Jay said turning to look at the computer screens.

"I don't know, but I have to find them." Ved said turning for the door. He stopped with his hand on the lock. "I don't think I'm coming back this time." He said not looking at his brother.

"What do you mean?" Jay asked unsure of what Ved was talking about.

"I think I am done being a Techno, for real this time." Ved knew that he wouldn't understand, but he had to explain it to him.

"Yeah said that last time too, and look where it got us." Jay laughed at his brother. He knew how he acted on impulse more than anything else.

"I've seen what we do this time." Ved said turning back around to look at his brother. "I don't want to keep doing this, because I've seen how we rip people apart. I could never do this to Mackenzie or anyone else, again."

"So what are you going to do?" Jay asked.

"I am going to find Honesty and Lane, and then Stephanie. Then we are going to leave the city, and go somewhere, I don't know where. Somewhere the Techno's can't find me." Ved said looking him in the eye. "Can you honestly tell me that you think this is worth giving up Ebony? If you stay here, they will take away that memory. I don't want to forget about the mallrats, Cloe included."

"I don't see why I have to give up either." Jay responded. "Ram has allowed us to keep our memories from other times."

"She may love power Jay, but not this kind of power." Ved laughed. "I'll offer you this once. Help me find them, leave with us, start over, or you can stay here, and keep doing this."

"Ved we do more good than bad." Jay told him.

"How many people are deleted in each city? How many brothers, sisters, wives and husbands do we have to take away before you see that it's not doing any good to them?" Ved asked.

Jay sighed. He looked down at the ground, and then over at the computer screens. "How are we going to find them?" he asked.

Ved gave his brother a small smile. "I don't know. If you were Ebony where would you go?"

"The hotel, back to Mackenzie's. I don't know." Jay said following his brother out of the room. The hallways in the mall where empty. It was still early in the morning, no one was up yet.

"Are the computers up yet?" Ved asked when they reached the stairs.

"No, nothing is up yet." Jay said looking around them. "How are you going to check on Stephanie?"

"I need to find who went on the raid." Ved said almost bouncing in his spot. He had to think of someway to find out.

"I read the report, Stephanie's name wasn't mentioned." Jay said looking at him.

"Who went on it?" Ved asked looking at his brother.

"Java." Jay said, his lips forming a straight line. They both knew that anything could have happened then, the report was more false than true. Java was only good at pleasing Ram, for her own benefit.

"I have to get back to her, then find Ebony." Ved said heading down the stairs with his brother behind them. "She might know where Ebony is going, or know of some place to look."

"I hope so." Jay said following his brother.

"General!" one of the guards said as they walk out the door.

"Can't you tell we're busy?" Ved snapped looking at him.

"Sorry sir, its just we aren't allowed to let anyone to go out without masks." He said.

"He's the General, do you really think that applies to him?" Ved snapped walking closer to the guy. "Don't ask don't tell." Ved said inches from the guards face.

"Yes, sir." He said holding his breath.

"You didn't have to do that." Jay said as they walked away.

"I know, it was the last time I get to do that." Ved laughed picking up his pace. He had to get back to her. He had to tell her.


	16. Part 32 & 33

**Part 32**

Alice sat looking at her sister. Most of the others had gone back to sleep after KC and May had left for the city. Amber and Trudy had taken the kids to the cabin, so it would be quieter for everyone. Jack and Cloe were sitting on the couch, Cloe was fast asleep in Jack's arms, and Patsy's head was resting on Cloe's lap, her red eyes were wide open as she stared into space. Her brother, Paul was asleep at her feet, holding a bag tightly in his hands. Pride was pacing back and forth, close to the window. Ellie had her eyes glued on Jack.

"Hey." Alice said, pulling her sister out of thought.

Ellie looked over at Alice, then back at Jack, "Yeah?"

"You okay?" Alice asked leaning closer to her.

"She's pregnant." Ellie said softly. She turned and looked at her sister. "How do you deal with it so well? Knowing that Ned is gone, really gone."

"It was the hardest after it happened. I acted strong for awhile, but I broke down." Alice said looking down at her hands. Talking about him still hurt. "You can still have a friendship with him, Ellie, I can have nothing."

"It's so hard to watch Alice." Ellie said as she started to cry. Alice moved to the chair next to her, and Ellie put her head on her sister's shoulder and cried. She couldn't watch as Jack stared lovingly at someone else. She couldn't take it, knowing that someone else was living her happily ever after.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Patsy, you okay?" Jack whispered looking down at Patsy.

Patsy didn't look at him, she wasn't really sure if she had even heard him. Her mind felt so far away, like her body had done a fast forward, but her mind was still on pause. Her eyes stung with tears.

"Patsy." Jack said again, a little louder.

She just nodded her head this time, still not saying anything.

Jack tuned and looked towards the window, "Pride, how are you doing?" he asked.

"She should be to the city by now." Pride said pacing back and forth, looking at the window each time he turned.

~!~!~!~!~!

"This is so unlike her." May said to Lex looking over at Ebony. She was on the floor telling stories to the two kids in her lap.

"You're telling me." Lex huffed. "Something has got to give."

"What does?" Bray asked looking at them then back over at Ebony. She always did so well with children, it was good to see apart of her that he remembered.

"She suddenly cares for someone other than herself. It doesn't add up." Lex told him. "This is Ebony, she has never looked out for anyone but herself, and now this. It's going to be a joke, or some plot to get us all killed."

"Always so negative." Bray said hitting him on the back and going over to sit by Ebony and the kids.

"I'm going to ask Tai-san." Honesty said when Bray joined them.

"Do it, I dare you too." Ebony said looking at the little girl. She had been telling them about adventures she had had before now, and how this was just another one.

Bray watched as the brother and sister got up, holding hands, scared to leave each other, and walked over to where Tai-san was meditating. "You're good with them."

"You sound surprised." Ebony said looking over at him.

"Well what do you expect?" Bray asked turning back to look at her. "You are Ebony after all. It's just hard to believe that there really is still a soft side to you."

"There is no soft side." Ebony said looking forward at the kids.

"Then what is all of this?" Bray said looking around them. "You obviously have a soft side for these two."

"You don't remember the name Lane do you." Ebony laughed looking over at him.

"Should I?" Bray asked watching her.

Ebony reached for her bag, which was one a few feet behind her and pulled out a book. She flipped through the pages until she came to a picture, the same picture she had used to make Amber disappear so many years ago. Her and Bray looking down at a small baby wrapped up in a blanket. She handed it over to him and looked back up at Honesty and Lane.

Bray took the picture and looked at if for a long time. He could hardly remember that day, it seemed almost like it was a lifetime ago. Both those people felt like a distance memory. "You've had this the whole time?" he couldn't believe it. Ebony's maid and nanny had had the baby before the virus, before there was even any worry about such a thing. They use to spend hours playing and watching after the little boy. When they would go for walks with him, people often thought that they were the parents, it seemed so funny to him now. He looked over at Ebony and could see tears lining the bottom of her eyes. "I wonder what happened to him."

"I went looking for them, after your parents died." Ebony said looking over at him. "She was already gone, and he was there, hardly holding on."

"Most children under the age of two didn't make it, their bodies couldn't handle it." Bray said, knowing what was coming.

"I couldn't save him." Ebony said turning away quickly to look at the kids. It was easier to look at them. "I would have given anything to save him, but I couldn't." she said softly. "I can save this Lane."

"We will find her." Bray said after a moment of silence. "I'll help you find her." He reached out and took her hand. He didn't know everything about Ebony, and knowing this part, and knowing what the baby had meant to her, brought more light to the mystery she was.

"I don't even know where to start looking." Ebony said looking down at her hand and then up at him.

"We could go back to her place and look." Bray said smiling at her, trying to encourage her.

"It's too dangerous, that's where they were taken from." Ebony told him. "If you were going to meet Amber and BJ somewhere, where would you go?"

"We have a place set up, somewhere we would go if we got separated, or something happened. We have a place for all the mallrats to meet at too." Bray said looking at her, as though she should know this already. She knew that if something happened they were all to meet at the farm, then go together from there. It had always been something they had incase of an emergence.

"A safe place." Ebony said thinking about it for a minute. She stood up. "Honesty." She said walking forward to the little girl. "Honesty, where is Mommy?" she asked getting down to the girls height.

"I don't know." The little girl looking at Ebony and then everyone else.

"Where should we go Honesty, if you were ever to get lost in the city, where would you go, to find Mackenzie?" Bray asked from beside Ebony.

"We can't get lost, and if we do, we have to stand still, and not move." Lane said looking at Ebony. He sounded like he was reciting something they had been told over and over again.

"Back home, if we can find it." Honesty said looking at her. "Then we go to the very back of the house, and hide."

"And if you can't find it?" Tai-san asked sitting up on her knees.

"To the playground. We always find a playground when we go out." Honesty looked at them. "Can we just go home now?" she asked.

"A playground." Bray said standing up.

"We're gonna go find Mackenzie, soon, I promise." Ebony said looking at her. "Did you guys have a favorite playground?"

"The one by the school!" Lane said loudly. "It's got so many toys and a sand box. My mom likes to watch me build with the sand."

"You don't think she would." Bray said watching as Ebony stood up.

"It's the only lead we've got." Ebony said looking at him. "I don't know where else to start."

"There is a building across the street, we can watch it from there, and see." Lex said looking at them.

"We only have three days." KC told them.

"Yeah, that's what the others gave us, if we didn't come back by then, they were going to come back to the city." May said looking at everyone. "So either some of us go back, or we wait."

"We can't all go to the playground." Lex said.

"No, but we should check some other ones too. We don't know which one, if any, she would go to." Bray said looking around. "May, KC, do you think you could check a few of them. Lex, Ebony and I will go to the school one, see if we can find anything."

"Yeah." May said nodding. "We should go soon."

"Yeah, we need to get away form the city as fast as we can." Ebony said as the thought of Zoot popped into her head. The last time she had been in a school she had stood up with him, the first real taste of power and chaos. The memory was so vivid, it felt like she was watching a movie of it, and not just it replying in her head. "Tai-san will stay with the kids, we meet back here by dark."

"We should go to the zoo tonight, it's the safest place in the city for anyone that isn't a Techno." May said looking at them.

"That's true." Ebony snorted.

"Sounds good." Lex said nodding in agreement.

"Be safe." Tai-san said looking at all of them. She hugged Lex and gave him a good bye kiss. She watched them all, one by one leave through the door, wishing each of them a fast and stay return.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"They are out?" Mackenzie asked looking at a breathless Ved. His words had gone by so fast, she wasn't sure she understood them all.

"They escaped last night with the other mallrats." Jay huffed.

"Escaped." She repeated to herself over and over while she paced in the small cleared area her and Ved had slept in.

"I'm sorry." Ved said looking up and watching her. She looked deep in thought.

"Shh." She said putting her hand up and kept walking. "Escaped." She stopped and started to tap her nose with her index finger.

"Is she okay?" Jay whispered.

"Shhhh!" Mackenzie said more harshly that time. They were out of the mall, they were with Ebony. "My place." She said turning and looking at them. "She would go back there."

"She isn't stupid, she knows that is where they were taken from." Ved said shaking his head.

"But at some point she is going to go back there. They are going to be looking for me, so she will go back there." Mackenzie said moving towards the entrance of the building. She had to get back there, and fast.

"Mackenzie no, it's being watched. She won't go back there." Jay said watching as Ved reached out to stop her from moving. "There has to be somewhere else. Somewhere you guys use to go, a place the kids felt safe."

Mackenzie turned and looked back at Jay and pulled her arm away from Ved. "She will go back there. I know she will."

"I'm sure she will, but there has to be somewhere else too." Ved said looking at her. "We are going to find them, we just need to think for a minute, where else would they go?"

"Honesty and Lane know they have to stand still if they get separated from me. They aren't to go anywhere…" she trailed off thinking about that thought. Where would they go? She was sure that she had been separated from them before, and where had she found them in the end?

"Does Honesty know her way back?" Jay asked.

"The playground. They went to the playground once when they couldn't find me." Mackenzie said suddenly. "They got lost in the crowd once, and I spent hours looking for them, and they were at the playground by the old school."

"Do you think they would remember that?" Ved asked.

"Honesty would, yeah, without a doubt." Mackenzie said, she could feel the warmth coming back to her face.

"Then that's where we're going." He smiled at her. "We're going to find them." He took her hand this time and lead the way out of the building. He was going to help her find these kids no matter what.

"Ved wait." Jay said hurrying to catch up with them. "It's not safe for her to go." Jay could see that it was going to be hard to get him to leave her again. "They want her, we are still Techno's, they aren't looking for us."

"Jay I'm not-" Ved started.

"He's right." Mackenzie said cutting him off. Even her words surprised her. She knew that if she went out in the open she could get caught. "It wouldn't do us any good if they found me now."

"They are searching buildings. I'm not leaving her here." Ved said looking at her and then over at Jay. "She has to come with us, it's the only way I can be sure that she's safe."

Jay could see the look in his brother's eyes. There was no changing his mind, nothing he could say would make him leave her here again. "Okay." He said. "But if we are really doing this, then there is something I have to do. Meet back here as soon as you find them. If you aren't here, I'll come to the play ground."

"Okay." Ved said unsure of what his brother was going off to do. He watched as jay went off, back towards the mall, when he was out of sight, together him and Mackenzie ran down the empty morning streets towards the school.

**Part 33**

It all happened so fast. Mackenzie stood watching the scene unfold, unable to move or help. Ved had her body pressed so tightly between him and the wall. She couldn't even scream out because his hand covered her mouth, making it hard for her to breath.

"We can't do anything." Ved whispered, wishing he could keep her from seeing what was happening behind him. He knew it wasn't good, the look in her eyes made him know the others were being ruthless. "The kids are safe and still in the city. She wouldn't bring them here. If we stay out of sight, Jay can help them. There is nothing we can do."

She could do nothing but watch as Ebony, Bray and Lew were chased around the playground, trying to avoid red beams of light.

"Aniaml's! Find the animals." Ebony screamed before the light hit her.

Mackenzie tried to push Ved away from her, but he was too strong. Should couldn't move an inch.

We felt the hot tears roll over his hand. He turned quickly to look behind him. Jay was no where to be seen and the Techno's were pulling the still bodies across the playground to the truck. He knew one of three things would happen to them now. But they didn't stand a chance at getting their friends back, not this time.

When he was sure they truck was gone, he released his hold on Mackenzie and just hugged her, while she freely sobbed into his shoulder. "She told us where to find them" he soother her with this thought. "Find the animals." He said. He didn't know what it meant, but it was a clue, the one thing they had to go off now.

"She could have meant the farm." Mackenzie said between gasps for air. She had never seen so much violence before, it scared her to think about what was going to happen to them now.

"We can go and meet Jay. See what he can do to get them out, and if he knows where the animals are." Ved said. He wasn't going to waste anymore time. They had to act quickly from here out.

~!~!~!~!~!

KC and May snuck back into the hiding place. They each carried a back pack they had retrieved from Mackenzie's. It had taken them longer than they thought it would, and they were certain that the others would be back by now. But they were surprised to get the back first.

"We need to leave for the zoo." Tai-san said through the tears in her eyes. She knew what this meant, and she knew what they had to do now.

"No, we can wait longer. They will be back, they are just being careful." KC said watching the door, waiting. It had felt like hours since they had gotten back. But he couldn't give up hope, not on those three, they were invincible in his mind.

"It's not safe to stay here any longer, KC." May told him.

"We all agreed, we have to go to the zoo." Tai-san said standing up. She knew this was her time to be strong. She couldn't show tears, not in front of the children and not in front of KC. "They know where we will go from there. They know how to get to the farm."

"We need to move fast." May said putting the back packs on the two kids.

"That guy is creepy." KC said finally getting up as well.

"That's just something we will have to deal with. It's the safest place." Tai-san told him. "Honesty, Lane, we're going to play our quite game again, but you both have to be super good at it." She said looking down at them. "And if I say run, you both have to run as fast as you can, okay?"

The two kids nodded their heads. They both looked excited. Tai-san and Ebony had done a good job of making them feel like this was an adventure, and they were out to save the world. It was all a game to them.

"Ready?" May asked with her hand on the door.

Tai-san took a deep breath and nodded her head. They had to be fast, this was it.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"This has been the longest day." Amber sighed sitting down next to Jack.

"And to think we have to wait 2 more days." Jack reminded her.

"How is Patsy holding up?" she asked looking over at where Patsy and Pride were now sitting, watching out the window as the sun prepared to set.

"She'll be fine. She has her brother." Jack smiled at Paul and Cloe, who were sitting together, writing back and froth.

"So you're going to be a dad." Amber said after awhile. She wanted to think about something happy for awhile, something that wouldn't make her worry about Bray or the others.

"Yeah, it's kind of amazing." Jack laughed a little at the thought.

"It's great news Jack, it's amazing." She told him.

"But…" Jack waited. "There is always a but with you."

"I wish you would have waited. You're both so young." Amber told him. She still felt the same way about him and Cloe as she had months ago when it first started. "Plus I always thought, you know, you and Ellie would…" she trailed off.

"You know I got a more meaningful congratulations from Ebony." He informed her, knowing it would sting.

"I'm not saying I'm not happy for you." Amber said quickly. "Becoming a parent is an amazing gift. I just wish you would have waited and that it was with Ellie." She couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Amber." Jack said after thinking about what she said. "I'm really glad that it's with Cloe." He watched her smile at something she was reading and glance up at him. She looked so perfect, it was unbelievable to him.

"I guess that is all that matters then." Amber watched the way Jack looked at Cloe. It was the same way Bray looked at her. "You're lucky then."

"I know I am. And thank you Amber." Jack said turning to look back at her. "I know it's hard for you to understand, so it really means a lot to me."

"I don't think Salene is going to be as understanding." Amber smiled at him. Salene had refused to talk to either of them since they had shared their news at the mall the morning before.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"You didn't find them?" Jay asked as Ved and Mackenzie made their way back into the empty store.

"They took them, I don't know who it was, but it wasn't good." Ved said breathing hard.

"We have to go back and try and get them out. We can't leave them." Mackenzie said, her eyes red from crying, and her face flushed from running.

Jay could feel his heart drop. He looked down at the papers in his hands and just let them fall. Ebony had been taken, and there really was nothing he could do this time. "We can't." he said looking back up at his brother.

"What do you mean?" Mackenzie said stepping forward. "We can't just leave them!" she shouted.

"I destroyed the main power board to the city. I took the city maps, plans, everything. I can't go back, neither of us can now." Jay said looking at the papers on the floor. He couldn't look them in the eye.

"Damn it!" Ved shouted hitting the wall hard with his fist.

Mackenzie just started to cry again. They couldn't save them. She bent down to hold her knees close to her chest.

"We need to find Honesty and Lane and get out fast." Ved said after a minute.

"How?" Jay asked, if they had Ebony, they wouldn't know where to look.

"She said we had to find the animals." Ved told him bending down to comfort Mackenzie. "What animals?"

Jay quickly picked up the papers on the ground, and started looking through them. He pulled out a large map, a Techno map that showed the areas that had been searched. "There is a zoo!" he said pointing it out. "It's on the out skirts of the town. It's been marked as dangerous, and useless."

"Dangerous?" Mackenzie asked looking up, still crying.

"It means a Techno was hurt there." Ved told her. "Do you think that's what she meant?"

"It's the only place with animals that we would be able to find." Jay said grabbing all the papers and standing up. "We should be able to buy enough time getting there without them saying anything to us, but we have to hurry."

"Okay." Mackenzie said taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Let's go." All she wanted to get was get Honesty and Lane back. That was it, she didn't think she would be able to make it through the rest of the day without them.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The sun was quickly setting while Tai-san, May, KC and the two children approached the zoo.

"Are you sure we have to do this?" KC asked staying as close to them as he could. It was only hours ago that he and May had made their way down this same path.

"He told us, if we needed help to come back here." May reminded him. "Its either this, or getting caught."

"We'd rather not have anyone else being caught." A male said from in front of them.

They all stopped walking, and Tai-san stood in front of the children, a hand on each of them.

"I see you have returned. I told you it was unwise to venture into the city." He said almost laughing. "But maybe you have found who you are looking for?"

"We are sorry to intrude on you like this." Tai-san said, in her always soothing, and calm voice. "We had no where else to turn to for the night and my friends said this is the safest place to be."

"Well, nature is always safe." he smiled.

"I am Tai-san. This is Honesty and Lane. KC and May I believe you know from this morning." She knew that manners were going to keep them even safer now.

"You may call me Keeper." He introduced himself bowing to Tai-san. "I see you did not find Ebony."

"We did, but we had something to do, her and the others haven't returned yet." May told him.

"She is strong, I am sure she will be fine." Keeper said turning and walking up the path.

The others followed him slowly, looking at the animals in the cages around them. They kept close together, and followed without another word as they walked farther and deeper into the zoo. It seemed to get darker, and they felt safer the farther they went. There was something about these animals that made them feel safe.

"I think that one is open!" KC stopped and pointed at a bear cage, and sure enough, the door was wide open.

"We don't lock them up, they are free animals, just as we are free people." Keeper said stopping and turning around. "How would you feel if you were locked inside a metal cage your whole life?"

"They don't attack you?" May wondered.

"No, we are peaceful with them, and they respect us." Keeper smiled and turned back to keep walking the zoo path.

"Yeah, okay, I'm scared now." May said to KC. She looked at Tai-san, thinking that she would say that it was time ago, but Tai-san simple just smiled and nodded as though agreeing with what Keeper had told them.

"It makes sense." Honesty said nodding her head. "But don't they get hungry?" she asked.

"That is why I am friends with Ebony." Keeper laughed not turning around.

"I don't understand." Honesty said looking at Tai-san.

"I think I will allow Ebony to explain it to you, when she returns." Tai-san told the girl looking down at her. "It is her story after all." Tai-san looked over and Lane, she could tell that he was more scared than his sister was. She picked up the small boy and allowed him to hide his face in her neck. "There is nothing to fear." She told him softly. She knew that she was mostly telling herself that. Deep down she knew that Lex wasn't coming back, not tonight.


	17. Part 34 & 35 The End

**Part 34**

It was dark by the time Ved, Jay and Mackenzie made it to the zoo.

"How will we know if they are here?" Jay wondered. He looked around as they entered the iron gates.

Mackenzie looked around, everyone was over grown by weeds, ivy, and other plants. It felt more like a jungle setting than a zoo. She remembered going to the zoo when she was younger, she was scared of the people that worked there. "One fool proof way." She said looking at Ved. "HELLO!" she yelled with her hands cupped around her mouth, making herself sound louder than normal.

Both Ved and Jay stopped and turned with their arms raised pointed at the cages that seemed to be empty, waiting for something to pop out.

"If you're friends want to live, I suggest they leave now." A voice came from somewhere.

"We're looking for someone." Mackenzie said putting her hands on the boys arms, lowering them. "Two children, a boy and a girl."

"We don't care much for this new tribe, and you have their markings. Leave." A different voice from somewhere else.

"They are with a woman, her name is Tai-san." Mackenzie said not giving up. She couldn't give in, not knowing.

"We know of who you are looking for. And we will help you, but not your friends." A third voice said.

"Please, they are with me, they are trying to help me. We are looking for our friends." Mackenzie said still turning in a circle, not sure which voice to address.

"Ebony told us to find the animals." Ved said, not sure if that would help them, but hoping it would.

"You know Ebony?" the first voice asked.

"Yes." Jay said with pain in his voice. "She was taken. Please, we lost her, and we just want to find Honesty and Lane."

There was rustling in bushes and sounds of animals in all directions.

The three of them stood frozen, each facing a different direction, not knowing what was coming at them.

"You are friends of the others." A male asked, the second voice, standing in front of Ved, there was a snake around his shoulders.

"They are here?" Mackenzie asked turning to face them. "Lane and Honesty, they are here?" she could feel tears sting her eyes again, but these ones were different.

"Yes." A female said walking around them, with a tiger following her. "They are with the Keeper. That is where we will take you, and he will determine the fate of you two." She said looking at Jay and Ved with a smile on her face.

They all walked together, Jay and Ved watching the animals closely, while Mackenzie kept her eyes on the two girls and boy. They didn't speak, they just walked, quietly.

When they stopped Jay and Ved looked up to see where they were.

"Through those doors, you will find who you are looking for." The boy said pointing towards the light of a fire.

"Thank you." Mackenzie said looking at them before quickly walking towards the light with Ved and Jay's hands in hers. "Honesty? Lane?" she shouted.

They could hear voices before they could see anyone. They weren't sure where they were coming from, but they knew they were closer.

"Honesty?" Mackenzie shouted again, "Lane?" They had to be here. As she turned down the path she stopped at the sight of the fire. They were there.

"Mommy!" Honesty screamed running to her, with Lane behind her.

Mackenzie fell to her knees and hugged the two kids as they ran into her arms. She cried as she held them both close to her, kissing their heads, making sure they were both unharmed. She just held them tight to her. "You're both okay."

Ved felt like a weight was lifted off him as he watched Mackenzie cry this time. She had them back. He had helped her get them back. He looked up to see who else was at the fire and was surprised to see KC and May there. "KC?" he asked only taking a few steps away from Mackenzie.

"Ved, no way." KC said. Anger filled him. They wouldn't have gone through any of this if it hadn't been for the two people that were standing in front of him now.

"What are you doing here?" Ved asked looking at them.

"We should be asking you that." May said crossing her arms in front of her. "You have no right to be here, either of you."

"Please." Mackenzie said standing up, stilled holding the kids close to her. She was scared not to be touching them, thinking that they would disappear again. "They helped me, they brought me here. They have done so much today to help me find them."

"That doesn't matter." KC said.

"It's all that matters." Tai-san smiled, she went and hugged Mackenzie. "I'm glad you are okay."

"We have bad news though." Mackenzie said looking at Ved. She knew that she couldn't tell Tai-san about her husband.

"I know." Tai-san said softly turning to Jay. "Is there nothing you can do?"

"I made it impossible for either of us to go back, if I would have known, I would have waited." Jay said holding up the papers in his hands.

"It happened at the playground. There was nothing we could do." Ved wasn't sure how to tell her either. "I'm sorry."

"So am I." Tai-san said looking down at the ground, finally allowing tears to form in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" May asked looking at them, slightly confused.

"The others were taken, we watched it happened but we couldn't do anything." Ved said looking down at the ground.

"You're acting like they are dead." KC said angry.

"We don't know, we won't know what will happen to them now." Jay told him.

No one else said anything on the matter. They just stood there looking at each other, and watching Mackenzie cry, and check both Honesty and Lane from head to toe, making sure all of them was still there.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The night was moving slowly. Most everyone was asleep around the fire. Mackenzie was sitting against a rock, Honesty and Lane fast asleep with their heads on her lap. Ved was sitting next to her watching her every breath.

"I'm sorry I helped do this to you." Ved said softly looking down at the Mackenzie's hands, as they slowly rubbed Honesty's back.

"You helped set it right though, you helped me get them back." Mackenzie smiled. "I honestly wouldn't have been able to come this far if it wasn't for you."

"None of this would have happened though if I would have just stayed, like you wanted me to." Ved said glancing back up at her face.

Mackenzie sat and thought for a moment. "That is true, but something good comes from everything." She looked over at him. "You have left the Techno's for good."

"I've done more bad than good." Ved told her. He knew that it was true. But he also knew that a lot of good, for him would come from this. He looked around the fire, and over at his brother. He was still awake staring into the fire. He knew that he was hurting.

Mackenzie didn't say anything, she just reached out and took his hand. "You have a chance to start over now."

"I don't think the mallrats will see it that way." Ved sighed.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not a mallrat then." Mackenzie smiled at him and let her head rest on his shoulder, their fingers laced together.

Ved smiled and watched the fire in front of them burn. He wanted nothing more than to start over with her.

~!~!~!~!~!~!

"It feels wrong to leave the city." Jay said looking at his brother. They were walking behind the others as they left for the farm.

"You know there is nothing we can do. They are already gone." Ved said looking behind them at the city, it was growing smaller and smaller.

"What do you think he will do?" Jay wondered. They knew that Ram could be cruel, it was hard to image what he would do to Ebony, Bray and Lex.

"I doubt he would delete them." Ved said looking over at Jay. "And I can't see him sending them to the mines either. They will be useful getting the city kids to work with them and not against them."

"So you think he changed their memories?" Jay asked. This was the subject his brother knew a lot on. He was the second in charge in this department.

"Most likely. He wouldn't do much to Ebony. He will want her. She is the last sister in the group. It will make his collection of wives complete." Ved sighed thinking about. It would be painful for Ebony to go through, having her memory modified to fit in with the life of a Techno. "The other two, their memories will be almost wiped out. I'm sure he would erase all of Lex's, there is no real need for him."

Jay thought about it, it was strange to hear Ved talk about their friends this way, but this had been the way they had talked about people for the last three years. They were people, they were test subjects, workers, they had all been virts until now. He thought about Ebony. She would be hooked up to a virtual reality for weeks.

"Bray's will be the trickiest." That was the last thought Ved had on the matter, it the last one he cared to share with his brother. He didn't know what Ram would think, he wasn't sure if he would act out of anger and just have them all deleted, all he could do was guess at what he would do.

**Part 34**

The sun was barely in the sky by the time the farm came into view. The cold morning air had turned everyone's noses red. It was just as quite on the country side as they city streets were. It made them all feel on edge, they would stop and turn at say sound other than their own.

Mackenzie and Ved carried the two children on their backs. Their heads moved with the pattern of their walking, eyes closed, fast asleep.

Mackenzie looked over at Ved. She was scared to tell the others about Bray, Lex and Ebony. It was her fault they were all in the city, she was to blame for them not coming back. She fared the look on Amber's face. She couldn't image how hard it was going to be for her. She was even surprised that Tai-san wasn't more upset.

"It'll be okay." Ved said when he saw her look at him. He knew this was hard on her still, but he knew they would all be angrier to see him, it was his fault the Techno's had come in the first place. What she blamed herself was so small compared to what he had done. "We will be able to come up with a plan when we are all together."

Mackenzie didn't say anything. She just watched as the farm grew closer with every step she took, and her heart hurt the closer they got.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Patsy could feel her arm moving. It wasn't something that should have been happening in her dream. It didn't fit the scene at all. She was doing everything she could to make it stop, but the harder she pulled the way, the more it was shaking. It wasn't apart of her dream. She rolled over, "Paul, knock it off." She moaned. But it didn't stop. She slowly pushed herself up on the couch and looked at him. His hands were moving faster than she could read them. "Slow down or write it down." She said rubbing her eyes. But he pulled her hands away and was pointing at the window, tugging on her arm. He didn't wait for her to get up before just leaving the room, and going outside.

Patsy understood perfectly what was going on. She got up and ran to the window. There he was, walking towards the farm, coming back to her. "They are back!" she shouted before following Paul out the door.

"Paul!" Mackenzie shouted rushing towards him. When she reached him, he took Lane off her back and hugged him, but she was already signing everything that had happened as fast as her hands would move.

"Pats." KC said as she jumped into his open arms. He was glad to be able to hold her again.

"Don't leave me again," Patsy cried kissing him.

The others started to pile out the door, greeting those that had returned and asking about the others. They all watched as Mackenzie cried, signing to Paul. Ved and Jay both standing with them. No one was happy to see either brother.

"Where is Bray?" Amber finally asked interrupting Mackenzie's silent speech.

Mackenzie, with tears rolling down her checks, picked up Honesty and looked at Amber. She knew this wasn't the easiest news to bring to anyone. "They took him, Lex and Ebony."

"There was nothing we could do, unless we wanted to be caught as well." Ved wanted to try to explain. He wanted to tell them all sorry.

"What are you even doing here?" Patsy asked.

"They helped us." Mackenzie told them all. She didn't want them to blame Ved or Jay, it wasn't their fault. She tried to place herself between the mallrats and Ved and Jay. She want to protect the brothers from the anger, from the words she knew would come.

"Where is Bray?" Amber asked again. Everyone could see the tears forming, but no one could say anything.

"I think it is best if we go inside, the story is long and we have been walking for hours." Tai-san said knowing how Amber felt, but she didn't want to stand anymore. She just wanted to lay down.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

The story had been told over and over, every detail covered. Ved, Jay, Mackenzie, Tai-san, and May were tired of talking. They didn't want anymore questions asked, or asked to explain it all again. They had been thinking about it for longer than the others, and the sadness was hard on them.

"There has to be something, I mean, we must be able to do something." Pride said after May, and KC had left the room. The others were fine to talk about a plan, as long as they didn't have to relive the last two days again.

"We don't have any safe way of getting into the city." Jay said as he watched Alice, Amber, and Ryan look over the papers he brought with them. "If I would have known, I would have waited." He said again.

"It's okay." Amber said looking up at him and giving him a tearful smile.

"And their memories, they will be wiped out?" Ryan sighed putting down the papers.

"We don't really know, it wasn't working when we left them." Jay told them. "But they will try to get them to work with them, to make it easier to get the other tribes to agree with what will happen."

"We had been working on changing memories, and added in things that never even happened. It wasn't perfected when we left the Techno's the first time, so I don't know the progress it's made since then." Ved said.

"Do you all agree that isn't not safe enough to go back into the city?" Alice asked looking at everyone.

That was something everyone seemed to agree upon.

"They are strong, and Ebony is strong headed. They will come back to us, I don't doubt it." Alice said sitting back and looking at them.

Both Ved and Jay turned to look at each other. They understood what it was like to become a Techno, and it was obvious to them that the others didn't understand their friends we're coming back.

"We know what you are thinking." Amber said looking at Jay. She understood, and she knew what it must seem like to an outsider looking in. "We aren't crazy, but we know them." Her voice was soft while she spoke. "It will take time, but we will get them back. We are a family, and we don't give up hope."

Mackenzie couldn't take anymore. She smiled at everyone and got up from the kitchen table and left the room, carrying a sleeping Lane, with Honesty walking beside her. She didn't want to think anymore, it was too painful for her to think about Stephanie. She had no idea where her best friend was, and she had caused pain to almost everyone in that room.

"I'm gonna…" Ved said getting up as well. He hurried to catch up with Mackenzie, he didn't want to be far from her.

The others watched while they walked out of the room together.

"They haven't been apart since last night." Jay said turning to look back at the others. "This is really hard for her, and I don't know if you all understand that. She had to watch what happened to the others, she was the only one of us that saw what happened to them."

"She didn't do anything." Pride said unsure of what Jay was talking about.

"We would have come back that night, the night we got away from the mall. But Ebony didn't want to leave the city with the kids, knowing that Mackenzie was still there, looking and waiting for them." Tai-san told them. "We all agreed that we had to try to find her before coming back here."

"She blames herself for them being taken." Alice said softly, putting it together.

"We don't blame her." Pride smiled looking at the door Mackenzie had just walked out of.

They all set, none saying anything, just trying to understand everything that had happened, everything they had been told. One by one, each of them left the room.

Alice, Amber and Pride were the only ones left in the kitchen by the time the sun was all the way up in the sky. The whole house was still quite.

"Do you think we can survive without our strongest members?" Alice asked looking at the other two. She knew that they too were strong, but losing Bray, Lex and Ebony would do more to them than just reducing their numbers, it would effect them all emotional.

"I think we will do whatever we can to make it through." Amber said taking a deep breath. That was all they had to do now, survive.


End file.
